'Scotland’s 10 Year Farmed Fish Health Framework' was published yesterday (23 May 2018) by the Scottish Government following collaboration with Scottish Sea Farms, Marine Harvest, the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish Natural Heritage, the Fish Veterinary Society and the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre.
Fergus Ewing, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy & Connectivity, described the report as "frankly momentous" at the launch during the official opening of Aquaculture UK 2018 in Aviemore.
Fish Farming Expert reported (23 May 2018):
"This 10 year plan is frankly horrendous not 'frankly momentuous'," said Don Staniford, Director of Scottish Salmon Watch. "It has more holes in it than a salmon farm and smacks of desperation. To describe salmon farming as 'without question one of Scotland’s great food success stories' clearly shows that the Scottish Government is out to lunch. The unpalatable truth is that over 23,000 tonnes – an estimated 15-20 million fish – died on Scottish salmon farms last year at a mortality rate of 26.7%. Scottish salmon farming is dead in the water. Infectious diseases such as Amoebic Gill Disease, Anaemia, Pancreas Disease and Cardiomyopathy Syndrome are plaguing the industry. Lice-infestation rates on salmon farms are rising year on year along with the toxic chemicals used to kill the parasites. Peer-reviewed science details lethal impacts on wild fish as well as shellfish such as lobsters."
Read more via:
- Reported Versus Reality – 'Inaccuracies' Rebutted by Scottish Salmon Watch
- Letter to the Cross-Party Group on Animal Welfare
- UK Government's 'Sustainable Seas Inquiry'
- Hard Evidence: Dossier of Data on Lice, Diseases & Mortalities at Scottish Salmon Farms
'Scotland’s 10 Year Farmed Fish Health Framework' includes:
And:
Priorities for action identified by 'Scotland’s 10 Year Farmed Fish Health Framework' included:
"Allowing Marine Harvest to spearhead the 10 year plan is akin to asking a rabid fox to safeguard the hen house," continued Staniford. "Marine Harvest is a company shedding jobs even faster than it is shedding infectious diseases, viruses and untreated wastes into Scotland's pristine lochs."
Read more via: Marine Harvest job swap: "Out of the frying pan and into the fire"!