Chamber and committees

Hazel Bartels said that the industry does not want more farms at the moment. If that is not the goal, would there be harm in pausing growth in the number of farms until there is greater control of mortality, disease and fish health?

It has been clear during the inquiry that witnesses from the industry and those who are critical of it have struggled to define what good fish welfare is. What is the Government’s understanding of good fish welfare and of how happy fish would look and behave? Do you see it as the role of Government to provide that definition for the industry to adhere to?

The Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee identified issues relating to the regulatory framework. How has the Scottish Government sought to fix those issues since the publication of the committee’s report?

It sounds as though mortality is not under control—or even, to a large extent, within the control of the people who run the farms—if we cannot say what would prevent such large-scale mortality rates. Is it justifiable for the industry to grow before it answers those questions?

That sounds reasonable, but the committee has heard from industry that it recognises that there are sites that are currently operating that are not in the right place, and work has not been done to move them. Is there trust in the industry to make those tough decisions and move farms that are not sited correctly for fish welfare?

How does the cabinet secretary respond to concerns that there are no specific statutory welfare standards in place for farmed fish?

Yes.

Good morning, cabinet secretary. I want to dig a little bit more into mortality.

Committee members have a letter from Animal Equality UK that sets out the scale of fish deaths. The annual fish mortality rate last year was the highest since 1991. More than 17 million fish died on salmon farms last year, with more than 10 farms reporting 50 per cent-plus mortality rates. Nobody is saying that farmers want that many dead fish but the fact is that there are that many dead fish. How can we allow growth and practice that results in so many dead animals to continue?

If the industry is growing but production is going down and mortality is going up, can that be sustainable?

My apologies, convener. The questions can go their own way.

I note that Mr Allan’s comments on mortality are strikingly similar to those that he made to the REC Committee in 2018. Had you been asked then to imagine that you were giving evidence in 2024, would you have thought that things would have improved more by now and that you would have been able to talk about a better picture than the one that we have at the moment?