Seòmar agus comataidhean

So far today, we have heard that the removal that was covered in the media and in the video was “routine”, “typical” and “not exceptional”. If that number of fish being removed in the morning is so unexceptional that it is not worth mentioning after lunch time, is this an industry that can be described as sustainable and that puts priority on the welfare of the animals?

I am glad to hear Tavish Scott mention the questions that were posed on site; I certainly asked quite a few questions about mortality. However, as I said, the removal that happened that morning was not mentioned. I am keen to understand how many dead fish would be a cause for concern. At what point is an investigation merited or are further checks made into how the salmon died?

What is the trigger point for sending a fish off for further investigation?

The fish health inspectorate’s letter to the committee describes a mortality rate of 0.55 per cent from that week. Is that based on your 447,563 fish or the initial stock?

We can expect that one in four salmon in a farm will die early. Is that good enough welfare? Do you believe that salmon living in cages currently have high welfare standards?

Yes. I clarify that I am not suggesting that any individual does not care. I am recognising as a fact that documents on fish health that were sent to this committee initially were about economic impact. That is what was given to us—it was not my creation.

The commitments in the “Fish Health Plan 2024”—which, incidentally, do not feature in the condensed version—include a commitment,

“Where appropriate”,

to

“introduce long-term strategic changes to how we farm our fish”.

What long-term strategic changes have been brought in since the publication of the plan?

The Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee recommended that

“no expansion should be permitted at sites which report high or significantly increased levels of mortalities”.

Mortalities continue to be a problem. What is the industry learning from incidents of high mortality, and how are those lessons being applied to actions to prevent recurrence?

In 2023, the fish health inspectorate data showed 17 million salmon deaths, which was the most ever recorded. In 2022, the figure was also record-breaking. You expect this year’s figures to be drastically improved.

The fish health plan was raised earlier. I was grateful to Salmon Scotland for circulating it ahead of our visit a couple of weeks ago. Very little space in that document is given over to fish health. Before you get to the commitments, you have to read quite a lot about the economic benefits of salmon farming and the number of jobs that it sustains. Is there a reason why the focus of the fish health plan is not on fish health?

I am aware that wrasse struggle more with the likes of freshwater treatment than salmon do, and that it is just not possible to fully separate them before such treatments are administered. Is that fair to the wrasse? Is that not a welfare concern?