Chamber and committees

That gives me confidence. The age of the fish when they die does not matter to me, but the fact that they are dying matters. Recommendation 9 of the RECC report says that there should be “no expansion” because mortality rates are too high across the sector. Recommendation 9 has not been enforced at all because the mortality rate has stayed the same. The mortality rate was too high when this report was published in 2019 and you are saying that the industry has expanded.

Yes, convener. They are fully declared in my register of interests, but, to be clear, I jointly own a wild fishery on the river Spey, which is on the east coast of Scotland. The fishery employs three full-time employees and provides fishing on a let basis. I do not believe that there is a conflict of interest, as there are no cages off the river Spey or on the east coast of Scotland. Full details are in my register of interests, convener.

Thank you. Mortality from the diseases—amoebic gill disease, infectious salmon anaemia and cardiomyopathy syndrome—and the increasing numbers of micro jellyfish, is continuing to increase every year, is it not?

Yes.

It seems that they have become disjointed.

Okay. I will let the rest of my questions go, because some of them have been asked already. We will move on to questions from Mark Ruskell.

Yes. Members are being very polite to each other, which is great to see. Monica, do you want to come in on this point?

That would mean changing old legislation.

We will go back to Mark Ruskell. I will then bring in the deputy convener.

No; it never gets smaller.