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."
