Chamber and committees

The committee has discussed how local communities can have their views represented in terms of appropriate sites for fish farms and what activity can go on in their areas. How far do we have to go in that regard, and what early steps would you like to be taken to improve that engagement?

It was interesting to hear that what is important to wild salmon is the overall number of sea lice, not the number per fish. It seems to follow that the risk to wild salmon will become greater as the industry grows. Do we need to see better management of lice within the farmed setting before that growth can be justified?

Sorry, convener, but can I clarify a final point?

Has the Scottish Government made sufficient progress on the salmon interactions working group’s recommendations regarding escapes? Are you aware of any progress on providing a mechanism for monetary penalties to be applied and invested in wild salmon conservation work?

Have you seen any ways of preventing escapes that are more successful than others and that Scotland should consider?

Your report also recommended that there should be local engagement mechanisms between fin-fish farmers and wild fishery managers. Has there been any progress in improving engagement on consenting decisions?

We have talked a lot about penalties for fish escapes. I am interested in what farms can do to prevent them. Where do you see the line between escapes that were not preventable and negligence or liability? If some farms are having escapes without realising it, that points to a more concerning picture than simply a storm having torn a net.

Has sufficient progress been made by the Scottish Government and its agencies on reducing the number of escapes?

You mentioned the FHI asking farms to take appropriate measures. Do you think that there is enough clarity and agreement on what “appropriate measures” are? Do you know what they are? Would your position be the same as that of the FHI, individual farms and Marine Scotland?

Thank you. That is helpful. Do you agree with the FHI that the salmon farming industry has a good record on containment?