Managing Interactions between Aquaculture and wild Atlantic salmon
With many wild-capture fisheries having reached capacity, 50% of all the seafood produced is farmed. Salmon farming off the West Coast of Scotland has been operating since the 1970s, and the industry has further goals for expansion. It is crucially important that we ensure that salmon farms are operated in a manner so they do not negatively impact wild salmon and sea trout as they migrate past salmon farms (see section on the West Coast Tracking Project for more information on what we are doing to understanding the migration pathways of wild salmon).
Managing Interactions
Potential impacts from fish farms include sea lice, disease and escaped farmed fish. Sea lice are naturally occurring parasites, but the location of many more potential host fish (within salmon farms) than would occur naturally means that salmon farms can increase the number of lice in the environment, and these lice can infest passing wild fish at potentially lethal levels. If farmed salmon escape from the farms and breed with wild salmon, there is strong evidence which demonstrates that the resulting offspring are less able to survive in the wild - such ‘genetic introgression’ is a real concern. Much less is known about the potential for disease transfer, but this possible impact must also be taken seriously.
Fisheries Management Scotland leading the way on wild/farmed interactions
The lead partner for aquaculture interactions within the Missing Salmon Alliance is Fisheries Management Scotland. They are working with the industry, regulators and other stakeholders to ensure that wild salmon and sea trout are prioritised when considering the management and siting of salmon farms. In April 2020, the Salmon Interactions Working Group report was published following a lengthy engagement process across multiple stakeholders. The report included 44 recommendations which, when implemented, will deliver a reformed regulatory system that properly protects our iconic wild salmon and sea trout. The Missing Salmon Alliance are working to ensure that the reformed regulatory system is implemented and enforced without delay. More details can be found on the Fisheries Management Scotland website.