Scots sea lice "out of control"

STAS claimed the latest aggregated sea lice data, published by the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO), shows that in the first quarter of 2014, sea lice numbers on farmed salmon were still out of control in a number of regions. "Worryingly, the second quarter of every year is when the main migrations to sea of juvenile wild salmon and sea trout occur. During this period they are at their most vulnerable to damaging and often fatal infestations of sea lice emanating from fish farms," it said.

The SSPO publish quarterly reports on fish health management in the Scottish salmon farming industry.

These reports are the most detailed ever published by the industry, providing information for 30 regions of the north-west coast, western and northern isles. They are based on information supplied by farms during the relevant period. Each of the 30 reports includes a wealth of statistics and contextual information on, for example: the management strategies used to protect fish health; Farm Management Areas; stocking; fallowing; strategic treatments; and average lice counts.

The latest SSPO quarterly sea lice report (for January to March 2014) reveals that average lice numbers were over thresholds, often very considerably over, in 14 out of 30 regions for which data is reported by the industry.