Committee to hold ‘timely’ sessions on Scotland’s salmon farming sector

A Holyrood committee is to press salmon industry chiefs on progress made in the sector a year on from claims that recommendations for change have not been implemented.

MSPs will also question Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon on the same topic – with the sessions coming as campaigners accused the aquaculture sector of “persistent environmental harm”.

The charity Wildfish called on MSPs on the committee to consider if the “expansion of this industry can be environmentally or economically justified”.

However, Salmon Scotland, which represents the sector, hit out at “extreme anti-salmon farming groups like WildFish”, claiming they “routinely misrepresent salmon farming”.

A spokesperson for Salmon Scotland said the organisation was looking forward to updating MSPs “with the latest evidence on the progress made since its earlier report”.

That comes after a report from the committee in January 2025 complained of a “lack of progress” from the Scottish Government in implementing reforms recommended for the salmon farming industry.

Last year’s publication came more than six years after a previous Holyrood committee made 65 recommendations for change in the industry, with MSPs saying while they were “concerned” many of the changes suggested have not been acted upon.

Nick Underdown, Scotland director of Wildfish, said the new committee inquiry “could not be more timely” as he claimed that “salmon farming in Scotland is beset by persistent environmental harm, regulatory failure and unsustainable pressure on already vulnerable wild Atlantic salmon populations”.

He added: “Sea lice infestations, regular disease outbreaks and mass escapes of farmed fish from salmon farms present a clear and present danger to our wild salmon and sea trout.

“WildFish welcomes the committee’s decision to extend its scrutiny and urges its members to consider whether the expansion of this industry can be environmentally or economically justified.”

Meanwhile, Abigail Penny, executive director, Animal Equality UK, meanwhile said: “Scottish salmon farming companies have a great deal of explaining to do after yet another year of turmoil.

“Over recent months we’ve seen reports of record-breaking mortalities, fish abandoned in lice-infested waters, mass escapes, workers suffering life-changing injuries, toxic chemicals dumped into local lochs, and the widespread underreporting of antibiotic use. It beggars belief.

“It’s time for executives to face the music. All eyes are on the committee members, who carry a clear responsibility to demand real accountability and to apply rigorous scrutiny.”

A spokesperson for Salmon Scotland however stated: “We look forward to updating the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee with the latest evidence on the progress made since its earlier report, including better survival, lower antibiotic use, sea lice levels among the lowest on record, and continued investment in fish health and welfare.

“Extreme anti-salmon farming groups like WildFish routinely misrepresent salmon farming with claims not supported by the evidence, despite its £1 billion contribution to Scotland’s economy and support for around 11,000 jobs.

“Scotland’s salmon farmers already operate to some of the highest health, welfare, and environmental standards in the world, backed by strict regulation and independent scrutiny, and remain committed to driving standards even higher.”