Friday 1 May 2020

WELCOME REPORT COULD CHANGE FISH FARM REGULATION

Following an inquiry by two Scottish Parliamentary Committees into fish farming, recommendations have today been published by the Salmon Interactions Working Group which, if enacted by Scottish Government, could help protect wild salmon and sea trout stocks at a critical time whilst also rewarding good aquaculture practice.


For some time, the SGA Fishing Group has been calling for measures to protect depleting wild fish stocks and fishery employment whilst also acknowledging the role fish farming plays in preserving employment within its own sector.





The report, published today, could present a major step forward, with the future of wild fish being placed at the heart of the proposals.
The recommendations have been committed to by Fisheries Management Scotland and aquaculture bodies.
You can read the report, and download the full Pdf, from here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/report-salmon-interactions-working-group/

A Spokesman for The SGA Fishing Group said: "This is an important step forward, providing Scottish Government heeds what it is saying. There is more than enough evidence now to suggest that wild salmon are at crisis point and that interactions between wild and farmed fish are one causal factor in that decline, amongst other pressures.
"These recommendations need to be grasped and enacted. There was a palpable feeling of disappointment at the slow pace of change and tinkering around the edge of the problem following the 2 Committee inquiries. This document presents a way forward. Scottish Government needs to act."