Seòmar agus comataidhean

Have any fish farms been relocated on the basis of evidence of sea lice? It is fascinating that, as you said earlier, sea lice can move 30km before they find a host. It is interesting to hear about the interaction between wild salmon and farmed salmon, but I am also interested in whether any sites have been relocated.

On collaboration and professional engagement, I am reading information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in America and looking at what is happening in Canada. Pacific salmon are in decline as well. Whether you are in Pacific waters or Atlantic waters, wild salmon are in decline. Therefore, I go back to the point about collaboration and professional working: we need to work together globally to look at why wild salmon populations are in decline. Do we need to highlight the fact that professional working needs to happen globally and that Scotland needs to be part of that?

Good morning. I have a wee supplementary question on an issue that was covered in Carol Mochan’s questions. We heard evidence from the Dumfries and Galloway integration joint board that its self-directed support policies had not been reviewed since the IJB was set up. Stephen Morgan, who is the chief social work officer at Dumfries and Galloway Council, also said that the results of a recent audit contravened the principles of the 2013 act.

What work is the Scottish Government doing with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to support the review of self-directed support and the role that is played by integration joint boards and health and social care partnerships?

I am conscious of the time, but I am interested in the education and training of social workers, as well as of health professionals, such as nurses, and their knowledge of self-directed support. They do not need to know about it in detail, but enough to trigger potential referral, for instance, when they are treating patients in acute care or in the community. How can we help the higher learning institutions to convey self-directed support information in the curriculum, so that social workers are aware of what self-directed support is all about, including its principles, so that they can trigger assessments by dieticians, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, for example? I am not suggesting that social workers or even nurses need to be experts in SDS but that they need to have some knowledge of what it means.

I want to pick up on the issue of multidisciplinary teams. I know from my casework that social workers are key; they are crucial in helping people to get the services that they need. One of our social work teams operates on the multidisciplinary team model, but there are social workers who work independently, who do not have the ability to pick up the phone to refer someone to physio or whatever. “Standards in Social Work Education in Scotland” mentions social workers being innovative and empowered. The final page of that document has a section on ethical principles, which talks about

“Promoting the full involvement and participation of people receiving services”

and

“what matters to them”.

In essence, it is referring to choice and control.

The role that social workers play is critical, and it is crucial that we value the job that they do. Do you have an opinion on how we can improve connectivity by using a multidisciplinary team approach, which many people seem to value and find to be very positive?

Good morning. Thanks for coming. I am looking at your report, which identifies issues with the fragmentation of research—you have mentioned communication and having wider engagement—but the regulation of aquaculture involves local authorities, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Government’s marine directorate and the Crown Estate for the sea bed. There are various bits of regulation. Does the wide range of aquaculture regulators contribute to that fragmentation of research?

I have a quick question on the back of that discussion. Does SEPA have a role in monitoring lumpfish that are now farmed? Cleaner fish—the wrasse and the lumpfish—used to be wild caught, but lumpfish are now produced in hatcheries, and health and welfare issues arise from looking after them. Salmon Scotland has staff who are dedicated to maintaining the health and welfare of their cleaner fish. You have probably just answered the question by saying that this is done by the fish health inspectorate, but does SEPA play any role in monitoring farmed cleaner fish?

Were you playing catch-up for a while? As you have indicated, 65 per cent of salmon farms are now inspected and supported, which means that they are meeting the regulatory requirements.

That is okay, Rachael, as another supplementary question has come to mind.

I am looking at information on the impact that Covid had for salmon farming. Fish were retained for longer, so they were larger and there was more biomass. That could have an effect regarding sea lice. Then, there is the question of discharge from the pens. Did the pandemic have an impact on data gathering? Were there requirements to be a bit flexible and to change things? People forget that Covid was not just about lockdown for us; it affected industries, businesses and communities, including salmon farming. Could you say a wee bit about how Covid impacted the data?

Okay. Thanks.