Sir David: Fish farms threaten the very survival of wild salmon
SIR David Attenborough has accused fish farms of ‘threatening the very survival’ of wild salmon.
The conservationist and host of wildlife documentaries such as Blue Planet warns the ‘king of fish’ is under threat from parasites and diseases that thrive in captivity.
And the 92-year-old fears that unless action is taken, wild salmon could be lost for ever.
Sir David’s broadside is a significant boost for campaigners who believe that fish farming – worth £1 billion a year to the Scottish economy – can be harmful to the marine environment.
His claims are made in a new short film produced on behalf of the Salmon and Trout Conservation Scotland charity.
In the three-minute clip, Sir David warns the ‘survival of these astonishing fish is at risk’, citing threats such as dams blocking rivers, pollution, parasites, fish escaping salmon farms and climate change.
He concludes by saying we need to step up efforts to ‘reduce man-made impacts’ and ‘restore [salmon] habitats’.
The film was made by Pace Productions UK, based in Edzell, Angus, to mark International Year of the Salmon.
As well as Sir David’s poignant narration and images of wild salmon, a banner is displayed reading: ‘In recent years we have begun to understand the damaging effects of inappropriate stocking programmes.’
A message from the conservation charity posted with the video, on YouTube, states: ‘We will continue our current work on reforming unsustainable salmon farming in Scotland and improving water quality, both vital issues affecting the health of wild salmon populations.
‘The greater support we receive, the more influential we can be.’
Yesterday, Salmon and Trout Conservation Scotland director Andrew Stewart said: ‘Salmon are incredibly important – vital to the wellbeing and health of river systems across the North of Scotland. Many other fish depend on them.’
Of Sir David’s contribution, he said: ‘When somebody hears that voice, you are drawn in. We are greatly indebted to him.’
Defending the farming industry, Hamish Macdonell, of the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation, said: ‘The Scottish salmon sector fully supports the International Year of the Salmon. This is reflected in the effort our farmers are making helping community schemes designed to restore the natural habitats of our wild salmon.
‘Sir David is absolutely right that there are a range of potential, manmade threats to wild salmon populations: the most pressing of which come from climate change, pollution, over-exploitation and changes to our oceans.
‘We share Sir David’s concern about escapes from open-cage farms – which is why our members have worked very hard to reduce these to as low a level as possible.’
Global populations of wild Atlantic salmon have declined from eight to ten million in the 1970s to three to four million. On some Scots rivers they have gone completely.
Rising temperatures have affected feeding grounds and migration while smolts have been threatened by a sea lice infection.
Scotland has 297 licensed fish farms and salmon is the country’s single biggest food export, worth £600 million in 2017. It is estimated to provide nearly 2,500 jobs, with thousands more supported by the aquaculture sector.
Last year it emerged almost one in five salmon farms failed to meet statutory environmental standards, according to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
Holyrood’s environment committee found this month that fish mortality was at ‘unacceptable levels’. It warned the marine ecosystem faces ‘irrecoverable damage’ from salmon farming if environmental concerns are not addressed.
Ken Whelan, of the Atlantic Salmon Trust, said: ‘Absolutely there’s a crisis in salmon fishing. [The decline] has been extraordinarily steep over the past two or three decades.’
‘Range of man-made threats to populations’