Chamber and committees

Out of that total, what is the expected survival rate?

Why does the letter mention the farm management statement? Why does the inspectorate rely on that statement? The inspectorate says that it gives advice and deadlines and that you are asked to demonstrate compliance. Why does Ronald Smith of the FHI specifically mention the farm management statement? Can anyone answer that?

I understand that, but what about the salmon farms that you mentioned where there is a no-deterioration policy? Do you not believe that that, for them, is a standstill policy, which does nothing to support the objectives of improving the environment?

I have one last question.

However, earlier, you talked about the risk of lowering the sea lice burden—I wrote that down because it caught my attention. You spoke about it as a risk.

What did you mean by that?

I want to address Tavish Scott’s point. WildFish has also criticised the lack of data to make decisions, which has been exacerbated by the gap of 20 per cent in data counts since 2021.

What if there is a problem? I note from its letter that the fish health inspectorate requires the statement to

“contain provision for the review of the document and the arrangements for sensitivity testing in relation to treatments for parasite management.”

Is that how the inspectorate communicates? Does it leave it up to you or the fish farms to carry out the work that is required, and then the farm management statement is updated?

I think that it was Ralph Bickerdike who talked about freshwater treatment. No, it was Ben Hadfield—you look relieved, Ralph. Between weeks 36 and 37, when that freshwater treatment occurred, is it normal for the mortality rate to increase? It doubled in that circumstance, although it was only from 0.24 to 0.55 per cent, I think. Overall, in the industry, what kind of percentage are we looking at?

Roughly how many salmon would you put through the wellboat? Given your commercial interests, you would want as many to survive as possible, but I presume that work has been done on the process. It just seems reactive to me rather than the preventative, proactive agenda that Kimberley McKinnell was talking about. What survival rate do you want from the process? What can you expect when you carry it out?