Question reference: S5W-33582
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
- Date lodged: 26 November 2020
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Current status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 December 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32898 by Fergus Ewing on 30 October 2020, whether, within the work of the new steering group and priority workstreams of the Farmed Fish Health Framework, (a) it still plans to (i) scale up the use of cleaner fish, with a concurrent increase of the production of farmed cleaner fish and (ii) introduce mandatory standards and requirements for cleaner fish welfare, including (A) mortality reporting, (B) humane slaughter and (C) species-specific welfare guidance and (b) there has been progress on the commitment to establish an international forum or platform to share cleaner fish husbandry best practice.
Answer
The new steering group will primarily focus on the priority workstreams outlined in the Scottish Government’s response to S5W-32898.
Progress has been made in relation to previous commitments on cleaner fish, including the introduction last week of mandatory controls over the harvesting of wild wrasse for managing sea lice in the salmon farming industry. In addition, in May 2018 the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation organised an international workshop on best practice in the production and use of cleaner-fish, and The Code of Good Practice for Finfish Aquaculture has been updated to outline best practice for husbandry.
We will continue to develop work streams as considered necessary by the Farmed Fish Health Framework Steering Group going forward.