Petition backed by thousands
A petition set up by a couple from Seil has been signed by almost 9,500 people.
David and Jean Ainsley, who run Sealife Adventures wildlife tours, are asking for acoustic deterrent devices (ADDs) to be banned from salmon farms.
They said: ‘Porpoises, dolphins and whales are being driven from feeding grounds and can be deafened by acoustic deterrent devices (ADDs) used by salmon farms. These mammals echo-locate to find food and if deafened will starve.’
The petition is directed at Roseanna Cunningham, cabinet secretary for the environment, climate change and land reform, and has four main points.
It asks Mrs Cunningham to:
1. Enforce existing laws protecting porpoise, dolphins and whales and ban all ADDs by January 2020.
2. Refuse to allow laws protecting marine mammals to be weakened; insist on independent, peer-reviewed scientific investigations.
3. Insist on independent, peer-reviewed scientific investigations if an ADD is claimed not to disturb or injure any cetaceans.
4. Refuse to issue a seal shooting licence after January 2020 unless a farm has double-skinned anti-predator nets.
A spokesperson for the Mull-based Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) said the use of ADDs was not justified. ‘Recent published research, using data collected by HWDT, demonstrates the widespread and increasing use of ADDs on the west coast of Scotland, creating a significant source of underwater noise,’ the spokesperson said.
‘There is sufficient evidence that ADDs are inefficient at deterring seals but have negative impacts on harbour porpoises and potentially other species too, causing disturbance and displacement which may impact on their overall fitness.
‘The Scottish Government has a legal obligation to ensure human activities and industry do not negatively impact the conservation status of harbour porpoises, therefore the salmon farming industry’s increasingly widespread use of ADDs in Scottish waters is not justified.’
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: ‘Acoustic deterrent devices are one of a number of measures used by fish farms to reduce seal predation, and, when used appropriately, can be an effective non-lethal method.
‘We are aware of concerns regarding their use and are working with Scottish Natural Heritage to consider the potential impact they have on the environment and marine mammals. We take our duty to protect Scotland’s iconic marine species extremely seriously, and will carefully consider the available evidence.’
A spokesperson for the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation said: ‘The primary job of salmon farmers is to rear healthy fish and keep them safe. Protecting farmed salmon from seal attacks is a challenge. The industry employs a range of techniques to protect salmon.’