Salmon Industry’s Challenge

By Phil Thomas, Chairman of the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO)

  In the meantime the aquaculture industry has developed from its infancy to the point where it now accounts for over 50% of the fish protein consumed by humans globally. In many countries fish supplies have been transformed. In the EU salmon, trout, sea bass and sea bream have become aconstant presence in the shopping basket and a fixture on the restaurant menus. Fish farming,it would seem, has come of age. But notwithstanding that, the regulatory hurdles that are put in the way of the development of marine fish farming are a constant challenge. Last week I had the pleasure of being at Fishmonger’s Hall to hearProfessor Ian Boyd, the Chief Scientist at the Department of Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Ina well informed speech about food policy he made the point that: ‘Aquaculture is extraordinarily important in terms of UK food security’. That’s an exact quotation because I wrote his words down. He gets the significance of marine fish farming. He understands that as population grows and land resources become more limiting the case for expanding food production into the marine environment becomes irresistible. That, of course, does not argue for willynillyexploitation of the sea bed and marine resources. But, it does make the case for a planned strategic expansion of finfish and shellfish farming, together with macro algae cropping as the integrated marine cultivation technologies come on stream. What’s more, if you were selecting from scratch a fish to make best use of these resources you would probably end up with a species capable of growth rates, performance efficiencies, carbon footprints and consumer-market characteristics not far from those of farmed Atlantic salmon. Thereby is explained the success of the modern Atlantic salmon farming industry. There are optimistic indications that the strategic logic of the development of fish farming is beginning to be realised in the UK. There are very positive signs of an emerging aquaculture development strategy for England, whichDefrais supporting; and several national bodies - National Environmental Research Council, The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Technology Strategy Board and the Education Funding Council(s) - are all now alive to the fact that aquaculture is a food sector for the future. Thesedevelopments are verypositive and hold out the prospect for further rapid advances in fish farming technology and for research-based solutions to some of industry’s most pressing problems. Meanwhile, in Scotland, which historically has had the most developed fish farming industry attention is currently focusedonthe mid-parliamentary-stageof yet another Aquaculture and Fisheries Bill – the third industry-related piece of legislation in five years. Many of the provisions of the Bill are unremarkable in that they are simply incorporated into law initiatives that have been self-developed by industry over the last decade. Provided the devil in the detail is properly resolved as the Bill progresses through the Scottish Parliament, farmers will be able to cope with the new legislation, although it will inevitably add yet more bureaucracy. This is a concern. Despite the fact that indigenous and international companies are prepared to invest in Scotland, the rate of expansion of Scottish aquaculture is now falling behind that of its international competitors. However, the opportunity presented by the Bill has brought forth arange of fish farming sceptics, and has stimulated a wide ranging andoften poorly informed parliamentarydiscussion that has had little to do with the Bill. This has highlighted the challenge that the industry faces in addressingtechnical issuesin an essentially non-technical legislative forum. There’s a lesson to be learned from this.Many elected politicians, not familiar with the detail of fish farming, tend to be inherently suspicious of the industry.As a consequence they seek assurance by putting in place measures which industry, quite understandably, regards as unnecessary hurdlesand regulatory barriers. In the face of the anti-farming lobbying,which attends almost any consideration of fish farming, inherent suspicions become amplified and the assurance barriers are often further raised. From an industry standpoint the implications are clear. We need to create a political familiarity with the technical aspects of fish farming to a much greater degree than currently exists. This needs to be a continuing priority – even at times when there seems no immediate need and where politicians may not have any immediate interest.Most politicians feel they have a passing understanding of agriculture, even if their actual knowledge is limited. The industry must strive to ensure parliamentarians have that same sense of familiarity with fish farming.