Lousy ‘Scottish’ Salmon – Hydrolicer Wages War in Lice-Infested Loch Carron!

OFFICIAL – BUSINESS

Dear Mr Moyes,

On 13 September you contacted SEPA about concerns for material on the sea surface and in suspension as a result of discharges at the West Strome fish farm site in Loch Carron, where a moored vessel was operating and discharging. Your emails to Alison MacPherson included links to two videos, which your email indicates were recorded on 8 September 2021. You also state that a report had been submitted to SEPA on 5 September. Please advise how the 5 September report to SEPA was made and include any supporting information that you have, emails or screen grabs etc.

Since 13 September Stuart Baird, an Area Manager for SEPA, has tried to contact you by telephone to discuss this matter further. Contact details for Stuart were left by voicemail, but he has not received any response. He can be contacted on 07809 041899, or stuart.baird@sepa.org.uk.

We have contacted the operators at Strome and they have advised on treatments undertaken at the site, which includes hydrolicer operations being undertaken on 4 to 8 September 2021 inclusive. Freshwater treatments took place on 5 and 6 September, and bath treatment on 5 September. We understand that around the time of these treatments there was a level of fish mortality at the site, however SEPA do not receive numbers on specific events, as this is reported to the Fish Health Inspectorate.

Regarding the material you observed on the sea surface and in suspension, hydrolicers use low pressure water jets to create turbulence that dislodges sea lice from the fish as they are drawn into a treatment chamber on the delousing vessel using pumps.  The material observed is likely to have been residue from the physical treatment and foam which is generated when sea water containing organic matter is agitated. Foams and debris can occur naturally during storms when organic matter is agitated. In the West Strome case, the organic matter agitated by the treatment vessel will have been a combination of mucus and organic matter from the fish being treated in the hydrolicer and organic matter in the seawater pumped through the hydrolicer. The material you observed may have been influenced by the presence of dead fish in the cages, some of which may have passed through the hydrolicer, or by the presence of decomposing fish in the cage being agitated by the flow discharged by the hydrolicer. Given the nature of the material and its expected rapid dispersion, we have no reason to believe it posed a significant pollution risk, however we acknowledge that odour and discolouration was apparent in the area around the fish farm cage group.

Information on a dead fish falling from the net into the sea during loading of the vessel as observed in the video, was reported to the Fish Health Inspectorate, who have already attended the site to review the report. The email of 13 September 2021 @ 17:25 states that you have a video recording of salmon being pumped directly into the sea, however this is not shown or described in the two videos provided. If you do have video of this, please send this to us and we will forward it to the Fish health Inspectorate, as that is within their remit.

Kind regards,

Andrew Steel

Environment Protection Officer, e: andrew.steel@sepa.org.uk, web: www.sepa.org.uk