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I will hand over to Hazel Bartels, who will be able to say a bit more about that.

To touch on your initial point first, I absolutely agree with what you say in respect of how we are supporting the wider industry. There is the farmed fish health framework and the work that we are taking forward through that, which includes work on mortalities. I have touched on the work that SAIC has done in relation to algal blooms; that was an important piece of work. We are providing SAIC with funding of £1.5 million up to 2026, and fish health priorities are key in the work that it will be taking forward and focusing on.

In relation to microjellyfish, I am aware that there are other technologies being used elsewhere that could be used in Scotland to try to help alleviate the issues in that respect. Hazel, would you like to add any more information on that?

First, we need to make sure that regulation is proportionate to what we need. I believe that the information that we get right now is suitable for those purposes and is provided in an open and transparent way. As far as I am aware, the information on mortality that is published by the industry in Scotland is more transparent, and there is more of it, than is the case in any other nation.

Earlier, I mentioned the work that was undertaken through the farmed fish health framework on trying to identify the causes of mortality. It identified ten overarching categories, with a view to standardising the reporting across farms. As a result of that important work, there has been an improvement in the data that is collected, because it has ensured that there is consistency in reporting.

I recognise that further improvements could still be made in how the overall data is presented. Right now, we are still presenting the data in four different ways: the industry presents its mortality levels, the marine directorate publishes our information annually, the FHI reports information, and SEPA does so, too. That is something that we have discussed, and I think it would be helpful for us to provide an explainer of how all the different categories of information are used. I recognise that further work needs to be done there.

I do not know whether it will be helpful, but I can provide you with more information on the work that is being done in relation to that.

I am sorry, Jill. Were you going to come in on that?

As I outlined, the work that is critical is ensuring that we try to get ahead of those challenges where we can. An example of that is the work that the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre has done on trying to predict algal blooms.

It would not be fair to say to the industry that it could not establish a business. We set out in our vision for aquaculture that we want to see sustainable growth of aquaculture in Scotland, but we cannot penalise the industry for issues that are outwith its control.

Again, we are dealing with issues and mortality events that are complex to address. I do not think that it is necessarily fair to say that there should be no expansion where there are high mortalities or to penalise fish farms where that has happened, depending on what the cause of that might be, as the issue could be completely outwith the farmer’s control or the control of anybody at that site.

Again, because of the nature of the issue, some of the events that have led to the high mortality rates are ones that we could not have predicted and are now trying to address.

I realise that Edward Mountain is picking out evidence that was given to the REC Committee at that time, but we would need a fuller understanding of exactly where the figure came from to know whether we are comparing like with like in terms of data. We are getting into a discussion about figures that are not necessarily comparable.

Jill Barber touched on that. The previous technical standard was introduced in 2015, and we are starting the initial work.

That was one of the key recommendations in the report, and it has been a key focus of our work since the recommendations were published. In a second, I will hand over to Jill Barber, who will be able to provide more detail.

The work has been taken forward in phases. The key reason for the work is to streamline the process. As we have heard today, a number of different bodies are involved, and the picture is quite complex, particularly for those looking in from the outside, given the different requirements that are expected of fish farming businesses. It is really important that we streamline the process and make it as efficient as possible, and that we learn and improve through that process.

That comes back to the points that Jill Barber made about the work that we set out in the vision and the overall work that needs to be done.

I know that that consideration that has been raised. The convener mentioned wind farms and community benefits. We always need to be careful, but it is a reasonable expectation that, when communities host fish farms, there is a benefit to be seen from that. We have already talked about what the industry provides within its local communities, as well as the coastal community benefit more widely that is delivered through local authorities and the funding.

I do not think that it is the case that we are pinning all of our hopes on one sector. The point that I am trying to illustrate is that salmon production is a very economically important sector for Scotland in terms of the food produced and the jobs supplied throughout the supply chain.

You are absolutely right about the figures that were produced, and you have outlined some of the reasons for them. Most businesses are trying to move towards automation, introduce new technology and innovate, and that does not necessarily lead to an increase in jobs. Nonetheless, the sector has an important footprint in our rural and island communities, as well as across Scotland through the wider supply chain, as I have mentioned. I do not think that that takes away from the importance of the industry as a whole.

As you have heard me say in the committee a number of times, across all the areas of my portfolio, industries like agriculture, forestry and fisheries, more widely, are all hugely important to rural Scotland. It is not necessarily the case that we are focusing on salmon production more than on other areas. We want to make sure that we have sustainable industries that, as a whole, are providing valuable employment.