A delegation of Scottish government politicians will this week visit the coastal town of Oban to meet with a range of salmon farming stakeholders to gain a first-hand account of the impact of salmon farming on the local community. The delegation will also take part in a tour of the facilities and hold discussions with different departments within the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) at the Scottish Marine Institute.
The inquiry follows on from the 2018 findings of the then Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee, which stated that urgent action was needed to improve the regulation of the Scottish salmon farming industry to address concerns over fish health and the industry’s environmental impact.
“Our inquiry is focussed on determining to what extent recommendations made by our predecessors in 2018, to address economic, social and environmental issues related to the salmon farming industry in Scotland, have been implemented,” said committee convener Finlay Carson MSP, in a press release.
“This visit offers us an important opportunity to hold discussions with local stakeholders directly impacted by the industry to gain a better understanding of the benefits, opportunities and challenges experienced by the local community from the industry. We will also be keen to learn more about the issues around spatial demands on the Scottish marine environment, that we’ve heard so much about during our inquiry work,” he added.
The Committee has laid out plans to hear from marine consenting and spatial planning experts, salmon industry stakeholders, and from the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform & Islands, Mairi Gougeon. The Committee will report its findings to the Scottish Parliament thereafter.
