106 REVIEW – CONTAINMENT AND PREDATOR PROTECTION
Containment The threat of seal attacks has been a major headache for fish farmers
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n January, salmon farmers in Scotland sounded the alarm over predation attacks by seals, following a major incident at a Skye-based farm in which 52,000 juvenile salmon were lost. The Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO, now renamed Salmon Scotland) says that from May 2019 to May 2020 more than half a million farmed salmon in Scotland died as a result of seal attacks, either directly from a physical attack or indirectly from stress. New regulations have also limited the action farmers can take to control seal predation. The Skye attack, on 31 December, was at a farm based at Portree and managed by The Scottish Salmon Company. The site was due to have new “seal proof” netting technology installed by the end of January. A spokesperson for The Scottish Salmon Company said: “Our Portree site has recently been subject to persistent attacks from a large group of
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seals which, despite our best efforts, caused significant damage to one of our nets. Our staff moved quickly to repair this damage but unfortunately a number of fish escaped… we take these matters extremely seriously and have invested substantially in measures to ensure containment and deal with predators like seals.” A change in regulations has meant that, as of the end of January 2021, farmers no longer have recourse to lethal controls to deal with seals. There are also restrictions coming in regarding what types of acoustic deterrent devices (ADDs) or “seal scarers” may be used. A review into the use of ADDs, announced in July last year, is ongoing. Tavish Scott, Chief Executive of the SSPO said: “Salmon farms and seals
This page from top: Ace Aquatec’s RT1; sea lion eating salmon Opposite: Seals in salmon pen after biting through top bird protection netting
29/11/2021 14:37:20
