A fish farming industry body will today start publishing monthly mortality figures for all Scotland’s salmon farms for the first time.
The Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) said the move was intended to increase “transparency and understanding” of the sector.
Farm-by-farm statistics released by the organisation this morning, covering the first four months of 2018, showed average fish survival rates ranging between 98.5% and 99%. The worst mortality rate, of 18.7%, was recorded at Marine Harvest’s Carradale North operation, in Argyll, in March, with storms cited as a factor.
SSPO chief executive Julie Hesketh-Laird said the reporting system was believed to be a first among all farming sectors in the UK and at the forefront of transparency for salmon farming globally.
She added: “The health and welfare of salmon is hugely important to salmon farmers. This regular, voluntary publication is unparalleled and sets a precedent for transparency in business reporting.
“It sets a base line to show future trends and currently around two-thirds of active salmon farms have 99% survival rates.”
The SSPO said its reports, which include information on the causes of mortality, will build on long-standing reporting to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Marine Scotland. The full figures are available on the SSPO’s website.
