Containment and predator protection
No seal of
approval
Scottish technology is deterring predators around the world – but not in Scotland
P
reda�on by seals is es�mated to cost Scotland’s salmon producers around £12m each year. Even if seals can be kept out of a pen, their presence nearby can cause fish to suffer from preda�on stress, which can exacerbate other health risks. Seals and other marine mammals are protected species, however, which rules out using lethal means to protect farmed fish. Un�l recently, fish farmers made extensive use of non-lethal protec�on measures, including acous�c deterrent devices (ADDs). ADDs don’t just impact seals, however. The “wall of sound” emi�ed by the older genera�on of ADDs is also very problema�c for cetaceans, that is whales, dolphins and porpoises, which are highly protected species. Legisla�on passed in the US – the Marine Mammals Protec�on Act (MMPA) – makes it an offence to harm or disturb protected species, and because it effec�vely bans seafood imports from jurisdic�ons that have not passed
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equivalent legisla�on, it effec�vely applies to anywhere that wishes to sell its seafood to the US. Cetaceans are European Protected Species (EPS) and in Scotland, ac�vi�es in the marine environment that have the poten�al to kill, injure or disturb them are subject to a strict licensing regime. Unless an EPS licence is in place, it is an offence “deliberately or recklessly disturb any dolphin, porpoise or whale”. In March last year, the Sco�sh Salmon Producers Organisa�on (SSPO), since rebranded as Salmon Scotland, announced: “All devices the sector does not have total confidence in, with regards to the harming of protected species, have been turned off and removed from the marine environment.” Since then, however, the sector has moved on s�ll further. Salmon Scotland told Fish Farmer: “No ADDs are currently in use for commercial purposes on Sco�sh salmon farms and as such there have been no licences applied for.” This is also confirmed by Marine Scotland, which runs the licensing regime and says that to date no EPS licences have been issued to fish farms. Marine Scotland says: “It is for fish farm operators to determine whether use of an ADD at their site will require a licence to disturb EPS.” It adds: “Given current scien�fic advice, it is likely that an EPS licence will be required for all currently available ADDs unless it can be demonstrated that a device will not cause disturbance to cetaceans. “EPS licences may be granted in certain circumstances following an applica�on and determina�on
Predator “control is a con�nual challenge for the sector
”
Above: Seal Left: Ace Aquatec RT-1 device Opposite: Genuswave TAST device
www.fishfarmermagazine.com
11/04/2022 14:41:33
