The
latest aggregated sea lice data, published by the Scottish Salmon Producers
Organisation (SSPO), shows that in the fourth quarter of 2013 sea lice numbers
on farmed salmon were massively out of control in a number of areas.
The
latest SSPO quarterly sea lice report (for October to December) reveals that
average lice numbers were over thresholds in 13 out of 30 areas for which data
is reported by the industry.
Particular
hotspots yet again included ‘Kennart to Gruinard’ in Wester Ross where there are
seven farms operated by two companies, Wester Ross Fisheries Limited and
Scottish Sea Farms Limited. The monthly lice count on farms in this area was
between five and ten times the
threshold between October and December last year. Lice have been over the
threshold in this area for an entire year now, despite three area-wide
treatments and a staggering 25 other treatments for lice.
Other
areas with severe lice problems included Badachro to Applecross (Wester Ross),
Awe and Nell (Argyll) and Add and Ormsary (also Argyll). The isles of Mull,
Islay and Jura, the east of Lewis, North Uist and South Uist also had sea lice
levels well over the thresholds for treatment.
Hugh
Campbell Adamson, Chairman of the Salmon & Trout Association Scotland
(S&TA(S)), said:
“All
the assurances we have received about Wester Ross ring hollow when you see these
figures. Indeed, they make a mockery of the platitudes voiced by sections of the
fish-farming industry. A year’s worth of figures makes it crystal clear that the
industry includes serial offenders who are simply incapable of controlling sea
lice. What is needed there is a complete clear out of all fish from the worst
affected farms for a prolonged period. Given the particularly appalling track
record In Loch Broom and Little Loch Broom, we also need to consider whether we
should now stop farming fish in Two Brooms completely.
We
warned that a failure to relocate poorly-sited farms in combination with
increased sea lice resistance to the cocktail of drugs used to control them
would end in disaster. We would ask Ministers again to consider ordering a cull
of all the fish in the very worst affected farms – the kind of decisive action
taken by the Norwegian authorities when they were faced with a similar problem –
and the fallowing of these farms until such time as a proven solution is
identified.The question remains whether Ministers are prepared to provide any
protection whatsoever for wild salmon and sea trout in the worst affected
regions.”
Guy
Linley-Adams, Solicitor to the S&TA(S) Aquaculture Campaign, said:
“In
November last year we called upon Ministers to introduce, without delay,
statutory controls on on-farm sea lice numbers to protect juvenile wild fish
from lethal infestations.
We
also need farm-specific sea lice data to be published so we can identify exactly
the problem farms. The longer Ministers delay and prevaricate, the worse this
situation is getting.”
Why
are sea lice on fish-farms such a threat to wild salmonids?
The
negative impact of sea lice, produced in huge numbers by fish farms, on wild
salmonids (salmon and sea trout) is widely accepted by fisheries scientists
including the Scottish Government’s own Marine Scotland Science (see 1 below).
Most
recently, a new paper published in 2013 by a group of fisheries experts from
Norway, Canada and Scotland re-analyses data from various Irish studies and
shows that the impact of sea lice on wild salmon causes a very high loss (34%)
of those returning to Irish rivers (see 2)
Most
importantly, there is clear evidence that both wild salmon and sea trout are in
decline in Scotland’s ‘aquaculture zone’, whereas, generally, populations have
stabilized on the east and north coasts where there is no fish-farming (see
3).
1) Marine Scotland
Science (2013) Summary of information relating to impacts of sea lice from fish
farms on Scottish sea trout and salmon - 4th April 2013 – see www.standupforwildsalmon.org.
Note that Marine Scotland Science acknowledges that compliance with the
thresholds within the Code of Good Practice is not necessarily sufficient to
ensure that juvenile sea lice emanating from the fish farms do not damage wild
fish.
2)
M Krkosek, C W Revie, B Finstad and C D Todd (2013) Comment on Jackson et al.
"Impact of Lepeophtheirus salmonis infestations on migrating Atlantic salmon,
Salmo salar L., smolts at eight locations in Ireland with an analysis of
lice-induced marine mortality" - Journal of Fish Diseases.
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