Sea lice ‘loophole’ slammed by marketing campaign group
Scotland’s salmon farmers are utilizing a loophole to keep away from reporting sea lice numbers, based on a report from conservation foyer group WildFish.
Reporting sea lice counts on a weekly foundation has been obligatory because the coverage was launched by the Scottish Authorities with impact from March 2021. A grace interval is allowed, nonetheless, forward of the purpose at which the fish are slaughtered – this is called the “withdrawal interval prior to reap” – throughout which farmers should not required to hold out lice counts.
WildFish – previously referred to as Salmon & Trout Conservation – says that this rule has been exploited by quite a few fish farm corporations, to say an exemption for so long as 25 weeks.
The report, Scottish Salmon: Harvesting, sea lice and illness, provides examples from the general public report together with farms operated by Cooke Aquaculture, Scottish Sea Farms and Loch Duart.
In some circumstances, WildFish says, sea lice counts had already exceeded the edge of 1 or 0.5 grownup feminine sea lice per fish (relying on the time of yr), at which the trade’s Code of Apply requires that remedial motion is taken. By defining the next interval as a “withdrawal interval”, nonetheless, even rising sea lice numbers don’t have to be reported.
The report additionally criticises the trade for finishing up harvesting over a interval of a number of months even the place a farmed fish inhabitants is affected by illnesses. In distinction, WildFish says, the Norwegian Meals Security Authorities can order that every one the fish at a given web site should be culled as a matter of urgency if they’re affected by illness or excessive ranges of parasites comparable to sea lice.
WildFish additionally says {that a} pre-harvest mortality fee of 24%, based on publicly out there figures, just isn’t acceptable.
Report creator Dr Matt Palmer stated: “Our report paints a surprising image of what’s taking place on salmon farms in Scotland – with one in 4 fish dying prematurely, and sea lice parasites proliferating in enormous numbers. This has a critical influence on the encompassing surroundings, and wild fish populations – to not point out it being at odds with the picture offered publicly by the salmon farming trade.”
WildFish, which continues to help leisure catch-and-release angling for wild salmon, has lengthy known as for open-net fish farming to finish in Scotland.
Tavish Scott, chief government of trade physique Salmon Scotland, responded: “’WildFish’ have once more made it clear they’ve little understanding of our enterprise, regardless of our members remaining open to partaking instantly with them.
“Respectfully, the organisation, its membership, and wild fish can be higher served by them attending to the pressures of fishing for sport and different human-induced impacts affecting crucial freshwater habitats.”
