Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee identified issues relating to the regulatory framework. How has the Scottish Government sought to fix those issues since the publication of the committee’s report?

It sounds as though mortality is not under control—or even, to a large extent, within the control of the people who run the farms—if we cannot say what would prevent such large-scale mortality rates. Is it justifiable for the industry to grow before it answers those questions?

That sounds reasonable, but the committee has heard from industry that it recognises that there are sites that are currently operating that are not in the right place, and work has not been done to move them. Is there trust in the industry to make those tough decisions and move farms that are not sited correctly for fish welfare?

How does the cabinet secretary respond to concerns that there are no specific statutory welfare standards in place for farmed fish?

Yes.

Good morning, cabinet secretary. I want to dig a little bit more into mortality.

Committee members have a letter from Animal Equality UK that sets out the scale of fish deaths. The annual fish mortality rate last year was the highest since 1991. More than 17 million fish died on salmon farms last year, with more than 10 farms reporting 50 per cent-plus mortality rates. Nobody is saying that farmers want that many dead fish but the fact is that there are that many dead fish. How can we allow growth and practice that results in so many dead animals to continue?

If the industry is growing but production is going down and mortality is going up, can that be sustainable?

My apologies, convener. The questions can go their own way.

I note that Mr Allan’s comments on mortality are strikingly similar to those that he made to the REC Committee in 2018. Had you been asked then to imagine that you were giving evidence in 2024, would you have thought that things would have improved more by now and that you would have been able to talk about a better picture than the one that we have at the moment?

It must be difficult to regulate and enforce good welfare standards if there is not consensus on what good welfare for farmed fish is. Is there an objective, desire or aspiration to come up with specific welfare standards for farmed fish?

When the committee went to visit a fish farm, the 2006 definitions were up on the wall, and various members asked questions about how those are adhered to, particularly in relation to allowing animals to explore their natural behaviours. Where that cannot be directly applied to fish that are in containment, would it make more sense, including for people who have to ensure that welfare, that the standards are applicable and achievable for the animals that they look after?