A range of NGOs and individuals have voiced concerns over the years about the impacts of salmon aquaculture in Scotland on wild fish populations and the environment. A recent petition to the Scottish Parliament from the Salmon and Trout Conservation Trust, Scotland, has prompted parliamentary inquiries from two Scottish Government committees: the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform (ECCLR) Committee and the Rural Economy and Connectivity (REC) Committee.
The ECCLR Committee inquiry called for information on the environmental impacts of salmon farming and took place over 3 weeks from 16 January to 8 February 2018. An update of a 2002 review by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) was commissioned, and a call for comments on the updated 2018 version[1]. A general conclusion of the report was that there had been little increase in research knowledge since the original 2002 review, with many gaps evident, and a need for a concerted approach to making data available and consolidating present knowledge, as well as a significant increase in research.
The results and contributions to the ECCLR Committee inquiry are being presented to the REC Committee to inform its upcoming inquiry. The REC Committee launched a call for views on 8 February and the deadline for submissions is Friday 27 April 2018.
[1] http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Environment/General%20Documents/20180125_SAMS_Review_of_Environmental_Impact_of_Salmon_Farming_-_Report.pdf