Containment

Commitment to continued improvement

The loss of fish from farms is always disappointing for the industry, presenting financial loss and environmental concerns. The salmon industry’s commitment to improve its performance on containment is demonstrated by its record in 2010. The overall total represents the lowest number of lost fish since statutory reporting began in 2002. SSPO is involved in co-ordinating efforts to develop a specific standard for containment in freshwater farms and delivering workshops to ensure that expertise and knowledge of containment best practice are shared throughout the industry. 

Through the Scottish Government's revised Strategic Framework, the ‘Improved Containment’ working group of the Ministerial Group on Aquaculture has developed a new action plan which is designed to inform containment best practice.  Comprising representatives from the salmon and trout sectors, equipment suppliers, environmental consultants, colleges, wild fish interests, regulators and the Scottish Government, the group has identified various work-streams.  These include updating and improving access to formal training and a programme of best practice workshops.  

The Group has also agreed to pursue the development of a Scottish technical standard for fish farm equipment. This will define standards on all marine and freshwater farms to ensure equipment is fit for purpose, including nets, pens and moorings.  The first phase is now underway through SARF, with a team including industry and specialist engineers examining existing protocols and considering how they can be transferred or modified for the unique Scottish environment.  It is expected that this project will produce, as well as a draft standard for consultation, a gap analysis report recommending further action and recommendations for inspection, certification and accreditation methods.

For more information, see SSPO's industry film.