10 minute read
UK farming
UK fi sh farming
Brexit, Covid-19 and welfare allegations combined to make it a challenging year for producers in the UK
This page from top: Port of Dover; Donna Fordyce; David Duguid Opposite from top: Organic Sea Harvest’s organic salmon; Ben Moffit at Loch Linnhe; Stewart Rendall, Cooke Aquaculture JANUARY saw the UK’s
seafood exporters struggling with the twin headaches of Covid-19 and new inspection requirements for exports to the European Union, post-Brexit.
The leaders of Scotland’s main seafood and food trade bodies called on the UK Government to help resolve delays to EU exports which were causing signifi cant problems for the sector.
Dozens of lorry loads of fi sh failed to leave Scotland on time following the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December. Confusion over paperwork, the extra documentation needed and IT problems all contributed to delays and hold-ups. There has also been a backlog of traffi c to deal with as a result of France’s temporary travel ban introduced to slow the travel ban introduced to slow the spread of a new Covid-19 variant.
The trade bodies said the UK-EU trade deal, which was agreed on Christmas Eve – just one week before the new regulations came into eff ect the new regulations came into eff ect – gave businesses no time to prepare for the huge changes necessary. for the huge changes necessary.
Donna Fordyce, Chief Executive of Seafood Scotland, said: “All our producers have been working incredibly hard to work through all the extra red tape that has been put in place since 1 January, but it is an almost impossible task given the lack of preparation time.” A joint taskforce – chaired by UK Government Minister for Scotland David Duguid – was later set up to deal with post-Brexit problems for the Scottish seafood industry, although it was overshadowed by friction between the UK and Scottish
governments over how to handle the issue.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Government rolled out its Seafood Producers Resilience Fund. The £6.45m scheme was aimed at fi shers and small aquaculture businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and EU Exit.
In March, the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) estimated that red tape, delays and depressed prices following the end of the Brexit transition period had cost Scotland’s salmon producers £11m in January and February alone.
The SSPO also estimated that the sector had suff ered an immediate loss of sales to the tune of 1,500 tonnes of product, while producers had also delayed the harvesting of 700 tonnes of fi sh as a result of the delays and uncertainty.
In February came news that independent producer Organic Sea Harvest had failed in its bid to secure planning permission for a new farm site on the coast of Skye. Highland Council’s North Planning Application Committee denied the request by a narrow margin
The company says the Balmaqueen site would have released investments at £4m, and would have provided direct, full-time employment for seven farm employees and two boat workers.
Organic Sea Harvest has appealed against the ruling and support also came from Stewart Graham, Managing Director of aquaculture sector supplier Gael Force, who said that jobs would also be lost in his own company as a result of the new site not going ahead. Also in February, Mowi Scotland achieved certifi cation from the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) for four seawater salmon farms – at Loch Linnhe, Gorsten, Marulaig Bay and Stulaig – bringing its total of ASC-certifi ed farms to eight.
In March, Cooke Aquaculture Scotland promoted Stewart Rendall to the newly created post of North Isles Manager. He was previously manager of Cooke’s Westray sites. The move was in response to the “continued growth” of Cooke’s Orkney operations, the company said.
Two competitors in the Scottish salmon farming sector reached an agreement to swap sites. The Scottish Salmon Company (SSC) and Mowi hope that consolidating their operations, located on the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides, will help effi ciency and sustainable health management.
Ownership of SSC’s Trilleachan Mor site on Loch Seaforth, on the east of Harris, and its Scaladale shore base will pass to Mowi. In return, SSC will take over Mowi’s Scotasay and Raineach sites, further south on the islands, and the Mowi shore base at East Loch Tarbert.
In April, we reported on the impact of the Netfl ix documentary Seaspiracy, which put the case against all forms of seafood. In the case of salmon farming, the fi lm’s director argued that it is eff ectively wild fi shing in disguise, as aquafeed contains a high proportion of marine ingredients, and also that it has an unacceptable welfare and environmental impact.
The fi lm sparked a backlash from academics and industry fi gures, who said most of its assertions were misleading or just plain wrong.
Dr Iain Berrill of the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation said: “While this fi lm raises some very important
issues, the claims made against salmon farming in Scotland are wrong, misleading and inaccurate. As a result, this part of the documentary was simply privileged activism masquerading as investigatory fi lm-making.”
“Aquaculture is a key part of the answer, not the problem, with regards to concerns over wild fi sh stocks. The United Nations has recognised this fact, which is why it supports fi sh farming as crucial to feeding the world’s growing population, now and in the future.”
Meanwhile, RSPCA Assured reinstated certifi cation for fi ve leading Scottish salmon farms after it had been suspended following a critical report from animal welfare group Compassion in World Farming (CIWF).
The CIWF report Underwater Cages, Parasites and Dead Fish, published in March, alleged poor welfare practices on the part of Scotland’s biggest salmon farmers and was accompanied by graphic images of dead or injured fi sh obtained by activists working with the organisation.
RSPCA Assured said: “Following a thorough investigation, which included visits to the farms by specially trained staff and a detailed review of the footage, we were unable to fi nd any evidence to support the allegations made. As such, we have today lifted their suspension from RSPCA Assured.
“Any complaints of poor welfare, or breaches of the RSPCA Assured membership agreement, are not tolerated and we always take them very seriously.”
Scottish Sea Farms announced that it had hired Anne Anderson, the SSPO’s Sustainability Director, as its Head of Sustainability & Development. This was a newly created post.
In the run up to elections for the
Scottish Parliament on 6 May, several of the parties set out their approach to aquaculture and the marine economy. The Scottish National Party (SNP), which emerged once more as the largest party, promised a more streamlined regulatory system for fi sh farming permits with a “single determining authority”, loosely based on the regulatory regime in Norway. Also following the Norwegian model, it appears that producers may face an auction process to secure permits for extra production.
The proposals were broadly welcomed by the SSPO, whose Chief Executive Tavish Scott said: “We have been clear; what we want to see is better regulation, not less regulation.”
In June, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report on the death of a Mowi employee highlighted a number of serious failings in safety practices at the company. The
MAIB concluded that the fatal accident ,which claimed the life of Clive
Hendry, could and should have been avoided.
Fergus Ewing, Scotland’s long-serving Secretary for Rural Economy (the brief that includes fi sheries and fi sh farming) stepped down. His successor was Mairi Gougeon, MSP for Angus North and Mearns, who had previously held other roles including Rural Aff airs. The post is now designated Rural Aff airs and Islands. In July, the big news was that Scottish Sea Farms (SSF) was set to become the new owner of Grieg Seafood’s Shetland assets. The fate of Grieg’s Shetland operations had long been in question and the news that a buyer had been confi rmed came as a relief to employees.
The sale price was set at NOK 1.9bn (£164m), higher than had been expected earlier this year. SSF Chief Executive Jim Gallagher described the deal as a “landmark step in our longterm strategy”. At the time of writing, it is still awaiting approval in principle
Opposite: Fish Farm on Loch Ailort This page from top: Mairi Gougeon; Grieg farm, Shetland; AnneAnderson
from the UK competition authorities.
In August, the Scottish Government announced that its review of the fi sh farming permit regime would be led by Professor Russel Griggs OBE, a former Executive Director with Scottish Enterprise. The review was expected to publish initial fi ndings by the end of 2021.
In September, we reported that long-running talks between the SNP and the Scottish Greens had resulted in a power-sharing deal in which both parties agreed a common platform, but also highlighted areas in which they agreed to diff er. The platform included a commitment to a vision for aquaculture “that places an enhanced emphasis on environmental protection and community benefi ts” and a new category of “Highly Protected Marine Areas” in which no commercial fi shing or aquaculture would be permitted. The UK Government-led Scottish Seafood Industry Action Group – successor to the Scottish Seafood Exports Task Force – held its fi rst meeting. The Task Force had previously been wound up after producing a report with recommendations for action. The SSPO announced grants of more than £70,000 for projects aimed at conserving wild salmon. The SSPO’s Wild Salmonid Support Fund aims ultimately to invest £1.5m. In October, news broke that the Scottish Environment Protection Agency will be taking on new powers as the leading authority for protecting wild salmon, including considering whether new or existing fi sh farms present a threat for wild fi sh. The reforms were Holyrood’s response to a report in 2020 from the Salmon Interactions Working Group. Industry observers were surprised that such a sweeping change could be brought in ahead of Professor Griggs’ review on farm permits. Meanwhile the UK Government bowed to pleas to postpone new controls on animal-based products from the European Union, which would have matched those currently applied by the EU. These will now be postponed until next year. In November, we reported that the SSPO had taken on a new name – Salmon Scotland – a new brand and a wider remit, to represent businesses involved in all aspects of the salmon industry in Scotland. November also saw the COP26 Climate Change Conference take place in Glasgow. Included on the menu was salmon from Loch Duart, an independent producer that prides itself on its small-scale, sustainable approach. Alongside the climate conference, Salmon Scotland held a panel discussion to explore how to meet one of its key sustainability pledge: reducing the reliance on single-use packaging for transporting seafood. COP26 may be over, but sustainability is likely to remain a key theme in 2022.
Above: Scottish Sea Farms Managing Director Jim Gallagher
