A government inquiry into Scotland’s salmon-farming industry has criticized its mortality levels, but salmon-farming groups have pushed back against what they say is unfair treatment compared to other forms of animal farming.
Scotland performed its first inquiry into the nation's salmon-farming industry in 2018, and the original report from the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee (RECC) considered mortality levels “too high in general across the sector,” stating that “it is very concerned to note the extremely high mortality rates at particular sites.”
A recently released follow-up inquiry found that remains the case, despite significant industry investments in fish welfare and other areas.
Between June and October 2024, a new inquiry led by a Rural Affairs and Islands (RAI) Committee took evidence from a range of regulators, stakeholders, fish farm producers and the Scottish government. It also received written submissions and launched fact-finding visits to salmon-farming sites and marine research facilities.
Among the report’s 65 recommendations was a call for regulators to be given powers and practical actions to use in the event of high mortality levels and for a process to be put in place that “allows robust intervention by regulators when serious fish mortality events occur.” Those regulations could include an appropriate mechanism to limit or close down production until causes are addressed.
The new report identified statistics which recorded mortality rates as high as 80 percent at individual farms. The committee said it was “strongly of the view” that "no expansion should be permitted at sites which report high or significantly increased levels of mortalities until these are addressed to the satisfaction of the appropriate regulatory bodies.”
Accepting that while there are “multiple and complex causes of mortality in farmed fish” and that “unpredictable, acute environmental events” such as algal blooms and micro-jellyfish in 2022 and 2023 caused mass mortalities at some sites which are not within the control of the industry, the new report from RAI states the committee is “disappointed by figures showing that mortality has not improved since the 2018 REC Committee inquiry report.”
The committee acknowledged, though, that many mortality incidents are out of salmon farmers’ control and that those incidents will likely increase in frequency in light of climate change. As such, it is recommending that the Scottish government establish a research project focused on testing and improving the modeling of environmental conditions that are known to cause high mortality events on salmon farms.
The report also said the government should provide powers to the Fish Health Inspectorate, or another appropriate body, to limit or halt production at sites which record persistent high mortality rates.
Following the release of RAI’s report, Salmon Scotland CEO Tavish Scott pushed back and voiced the trade body’s disappointment in what he said is a lack of balance applied in evaluating survival rates.
“Comparisons were, and are, regularly made with other livestock sectors, without acknowledging the clear biological differences between fish and land animals – differences that mean direct comparisons are in no way appropriate,” Scott said. “We would also note that we are the only U.K. animal production sector to publish detailed survival statistics. It is, therefore, difficult to understand how meaningful comparisons can be made to other sectors when such data is not available.”
Scott said there is a discrepancy between salmon farming and most other animal farming – pointing out that mortality incidents for most other types of farming are followed by calls for support rather than criticism.
Underlining the selective nature of the comparisons, Scott pointed to the increased culling of farmed chickens and turkeys in the United Kingdom due to an increase in avian flu cases and the “high alert” that farmers and authorities are on because of a significant outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in Germany.
“These situations, rightly, trigger widespread calls for governmental support and funding,” he wrote, adding that no such calls can be heard from politicians or parliamentary committees when salmon farmers experience challenges with the health of their stocks.
“Far from receiving calls for government and regulatory support, our sector endures continual criticism and a ratcheting of regulatory controls. All farmers, whether on land or at sea, work to produce nutritious, healthy and sustainable food for consumers,” Scott said. “From time to time, we all experience challenges that are beyond our control. Elected representatives need to recognize all modes of food production in a fair and balanced manner.”
In his letter, Scott also highlighted an improvement in fish survival last year, with mortality levels down to 17.7 percent, compared to the 27.7 percent recorded in 2023.
“This improvement is testament to the hard work of Scotland’s 2,500 salmon farmers, who work tirelessly in some of Scotland’s most isolated, coastal, and island communities, as well as the 10,000 people supporting our farmers through the supply chain,” Scott wrote. “It has also been possible due to significant investment by salmon farming businesses, with nearly GBP 1 billion [USD 1.2 billion, EUR 1.2 billion] invested in fish health and welfare since 2018.”
