The Salmon & Trout Association exposes sham of salmon farming industry

A dossier of material obtained under freedom of information reveals alarming results of Government inspections of Scottish salmon farms including high levels of sea-lice - the major concern for wild fish conservation.

The Salmon & Trout Association (S&TA), has published a dossier based on hitherto unpublished Scottish Government Fish Health Inspectorate reports of inspections of Scottish salmon farms from 2009 and 2010, obtained under freedom of information law.

The reports of inspection visits to Scottish salmon farms made by Government inspectors over the last two years reveal:

• 68 instances of fish-farms recorded as having sea-lice levels above the thresholds recommended in the industry's own Code of Good Practice during the period for which records were inspected;
• 52 instances of fish-farms recorded as having other sea-lice related issues, such as damage or mortality caused by sea-lice, or high lice loads on sampled fish;
• 48 instances of fish-farms reported as not recording farm sea-lice numbers in accordance with industry standards;
• 21 instances concerning evidence of a lack of efficacy of, or tolerance to, or potential resistance to available sea-lice treatments, including unexpectedly low sea-lice clearance rates using licensed treatments and failure to control sea-lice numbers; 
• Concerns related to the proper containment of farmed fish, including the presence of misshapen cages, nets with holes or tears, either deliberately or otherwise made, and nets sagging at or below the water line. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers