Chamber and committees

SEPA figures indicate that, in Scotland, 17 million farmed salmon died last year. That indicates that mortality rates on fish farms remain high. Is there a scientific consensus on the key causes of that? If so, how is that data recorded? Is it aggregated and published?

In your opinion, do those who operate the farm assurance scheme have any input into the data gathering, so that the farms that should be giving information are doing so and it is then followed up? When I looked on the site at some of the circumstances in which no counts were registered, the reasons given included “weather”, “withdrawal period prior to harvesting”, “vet advice” and “site recently stocked”. What input do the assurance scheme providers have in ensuring that salmon farms provide that information?

Emma Harper quoted that some of the welfare and mortality figures are similar to those in Scotland, but the figures that I have seen comparing Scotland with Norway show that that is not the case.

SEPA has tried to make its life a little easier, because it does not have the capacity to gather that data.

My colleague Edward Mountain now has my cogs working on the gill health and sea lice interaction. The Government has brought in the new regulatory obligation for fish farms to meet on the threshold for sea lice. The ways in which we are controlling sea lice are clearly impacting on fish health—specifically, gill health. We have brought in something and created a new problem. Does the committee need to look at whether sea lice control is being done in the correct way? It could be, as Professor Martin said, the reason why mortality levels have increased so dramatically.

Could you repeat that, please? I did not hear what you said.

Okay. My last question on this particular issue is for Sean Black. Do you have regular meetings with the Scottish Government about severe welfare issues and mortality?

Okay. Thank you.

I will develop this line of questioning, convener. Rachel Mulrenan might get an opportunity to answer.

As we know, salmon farms are legally required to report weekly sea lice counts, but Sean Black said that the reporting is messy. Can you categorically say whether the reporting of sea lice and mortality has improved in recent years?

Maybe Sean Black could answer that.