Animal experts warn Scottish Government not to 'sideline' salmon welfare amid record fish farm deaths

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Animal experts and campaigners have warned SNP ministers not to “sideline” the welfare of farmed salmon after 16.5million fish died last year.The calls come amid concern over the death toll and outbreaks of disease on fish farms.Writing to the Scottish Government’s Mairi McAllan, they demanded clarity after saying a new Holyrood “Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture” strategy lacked key details.It follows record mortalities on salmon farms last year with a staggering 16.5million premature deaths in cages logged - roughly one every two seconds.The letter, signed by some 30 experts from around the world, was organised by the charities Animal Equality and OneKind - who claimed the “world is watching” how Scotland handles the longstanding welfare fears around the industry.Scottish salmon is the UK’s top food export, with the £600million sector supporting tens of thousands of jobs.But campaigners say overcrowding, disease and lice have created grim welfare conditions and contributed to sky-high mortalities.The industry insists it follows world-leading welfare standards, and says deaths are partly driven by complex effects from climate change.In the letter to Net Zero and Just Transition Secretary McAllan, the signatories said: “We have urgent and ongoing concerns for salmon welfare, and the Vision for Aquaculture has not alleviated those concerns.“Although the Vision states that ‘improving aquaculture health and welfare is an ethical responsibility and a priority’, no detail is given of how that will be achieved for salmon, apart from a reference to increasing adoption of innovative technologies, including the potential use of semi and closed containment systems.“These systems may improve some aspects of health, such as