Download press release in full as a PDF with Notes to Editors and Background online here
Scottish Salmon Watch, 18 April 2018
Deafening Impact of Salmon Farms on Cetaceans
- "Deliberate & Reckless Disturbance" by Acoustic Deterrent Devices Makes Waves?
The use of Acoustic Deterrent Devices (ADDs) on Scotland's salmon farms could take centre stage this week - with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) testifying to today's Scottish Parliament inquiry into salmon farming in Scotland and a Scottish Government-sponsored workshop on a new Dolphin and Porpoise Conservation Strategy held at the Royal Society of Edinburgh (19 & 20 April) [1].
Scottish Salmon Watch is calling on the Scottish Government to pull the plug on the use of ADDs - so-called 'seal scarers' - due to "deliberate and reckless disturbance" of cetaceans and a breach of European law.
"Scottish salmon farms are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea," said Don Staniford, Director of Scottish Salmon Watch. "On the one hand the killing of seals is morally repugnant not to mention a total turn-off for exports of farmed salmon to the United States and on the other the use of ADDs is known to disturb cetaceans. The common sense solution - for seals, harbour porpoises as well as wild fisheries - is to relocate salmon farms away from the Scottish coast into closed containment tanks on land. It is time to stop recklessly disturbing Scotland's marine wildlife and that means turning off ADDs immediately. Since the Scottish Government appears deaf to the concerns raised by SNH and NGOs it may require direct intervention by the Scottish Parliament to force compliance with European law."
Data obtained from the Scottish Government via FOI reveals that 164 salmon farms use ADDs with 112 salmon farms where ADDs are listed as "Always On". The data reports an 'ADD Count' of 1,189 with the most popular ADD models listed as Airmar/Mohn Aqua (72), Terecos (60) and Ace Aquatec (33) . Of the 164 salmon farms using ADDs, Marine Harvest accounted for 65 followed by The Scottish Salmon Company (41), Scottish Sea Farms (35), Loch Duart (10), Kames Fish Farming (5), Cooke Aquaculture (5) and Wester Ross Fisheries (4). Hjaltland Seafarms (Grieg Seafood) reported no use of ADDs [2].
The latest Scottish Government fish farm production survey 2016 - published in September 2017 - reported 253 salmon farm sites but only 136 reported production during 2016 (i.e. 117 reported zero production). Hence it seems that the majority of Scottish salmon farms use ADDs despite the known impacts on cetaceans and breach of European law via the Habitats Directive.
Documents obtained from the Scottish Government via FOI in March 2018 reveal that in July 2017 SNH advised the Scottish Government that the use of ADDs by salmon farms "can cause disturbance and displacement of cetaceans" and that "there is sound, scientific evidence to expect that hearing damage, stress and masking may also occur". "Accordingly, we believe there to be a strong case for managing ADD deployment and use," advised SNH [3].
SNH advised the Scottish Government:
And concluded:
Despite SNH's advice, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy & Connectivity (Fergus Ewing) told the BBC's Sunday Politics Scotland show on 25 March 2018:
"The position which we all wish to see is every method used to scare seals away from cages and as the Minister responsible I am very pleased that technology now including the use of sonar devices means that it is now proving possible to do this in increasing occasions."
BBC News reported (25 March 2018):
Fergus Ewing, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy & Connectivity, will be giving oral evidence to the RECC on 9 May 2018.
During oral evidence before the Environment, Climate Change & Land Reform Committee (ECCLRC) in February 2018, Mark Harvey of Highland Council claimed to be "trying to control ADD use":
Mark Harvey of Highland Council is also testifying to the RECC later this morning (watch live on Scottish Parliament TV from 10am in Committee Room 2 online here).
Download press release in full as a PDF with Notes to Editors and Background online here
Read a report on the impact of ADDs on minke whales online here
Read a FOI reply from SNH dated 20 April 2018 - covering letter online here; collated data online here
Read a FOI reply from Highland Council dated 9 March 2018 - online here and online here and online here and online here and online here
Download a DRAFT press release online here (Embargoed Until 10 June 2018)