Holyrood hears salmon farm defence

BIG landed interests have been attacking the salmon industry in Scotland for many years and their portrayal of the sector was unrecognisable, said Shetland MSP and former Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott. Speaking in a debate in the Scottish parliament today on the future of salmon farming, Scott said islands such as Unst and Yell…

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Clash expected over salmon farms’ future

THE Scottish Greens are still calling for a moratorium on new fish farms despite a lengthy parliamentary inquiry concluding that there was no evidence to support a ban on expansion. Ahead of a debate today in Holyrood, where MSPs will discuss the findings of the Rural Economy and Connectivity (REC) committee, Green MSP John Finnie…

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Farm by farm sea lice data published

SCOTTISH salmon farmers have published farm by farm sea lice data for the first time today, following a commitment made earlier in the year. Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) former chief executive Scott Landsburgh told the ongoing inquiry into salmon farming, by the Rural Economy and Connectivity (REC) committee, that the information would be made…

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Wild complaints focus on lice

THERE is no reason why salmon farmers and anglers cannot coexist and thrive in Scotland if development is undertaken sustainably. This was the view expressed by Salmon and Trout Conservation Scotland (S&TCS) in Holyrood yesterday as the Rural Economy and Connectivity (REC) committee continued its inquiry into the current state of salmon farming in Scotland.…

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Scientists shine new light on salmon farming

THE numbers of sea lice on Scotland’s salmon farms are not increasing, farmers have better control of parasites today than in the past, and the risk of disease transfer from farmed to wild fish is low. A very different picture of the state of Scotland’s salmon industry emerged yesterday when leading fish health experts appeared…

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‘Status quo not an option’ says salmon probe

A Holyrood inquiry has concluded that Scotland\’s marine ecosystem faces ‘irrecoverable damage’ from salmon farming if environmental concerns are not addressed. The Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform committee, which took evidence last month from environmental campaigners, scientists from the Scottish Association for Marine Science and the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO), said fish mortality…

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Salmon farming ‘here to stay'

SALMON farming has transformed the rural communities of the west Highlands and islands with jobs, investment and business opportunities, said the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation. Responding to a weekend press report headlined ‘Is salmon farming doing more harm than good for Scotland?’, the SSPO’s chief executive, Scott Landsburgh, said that despite being only around 40…

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Next Scottish salmon probe seeks all views

THE next parliamentary review of Scotland’s salmon farming sector is to take evidence in March, April and May, it was announced today. The wide ranging inquiry, by the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Economy and Connectivity (REC) committee, follows on from the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform (ECCLR) committee’s probe into the environmental impacts of the…

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SSPO ready for round two of salmon probe

THE Scottish salmon industry will come under the spotlight again tomorrow in round two of Holyrood’s probe into the environmental impacts of fish farming. The Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform (ECCLR) Committee will take evidence from the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO), represented by general manager David Sandison. Also appearing before the committee will…

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Industry probe looks at welfare and waste

THE welfare standards in salmon farming in Scotland are currently very high and there is no reason to believe these will slip if the industry expands, a committee in Holyrood heard this morning. Dr Adam Hughes, from the Oban based Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), was part of a panel answering questions on the…

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