Cover photo. Farmed salmon © Erling Svensen
CCN members who are active on issues related to salmon farming and other forms of aquaculture collaborate via the CCN Aquaculture Forum. Together, they hold a wealth of knowledge on their specific local contexts and technical detail around the environmental and other impacts of the finfish farming industry in Scotland.
What is CCN calling for?
Our position statement, which gives an overview of our thoughts on the current state of the industry and what should be done, can be seen here.
CCN believes that the current approach to salmon farming fails to deliver the environmentally sustainable, huge quality industry that the Scottish Government describes in its Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture. We are calling for:
- Acknowledgement of a need for a step change of approach,
- Immediate pause to industry expansion plans until we have a better understanding of the impact of the industry on Scotland’s seas,
- Application of the Precautionary Principle,
- Spatially planned aquaculture,
- Attention to fish welfare and mortality, including cleaner fish
- Genuine local accountability and respect of community views, and
- Consideration of the impacts on Scotland’s iconic coastal landscapes.
What has CCN done to address these issues?
The CCN Aquaculture Forum participated in the 2018 ECCLR and RECC inquiries and have presented large amounts of evidence to support the case for a temporary halt to the expansion of the industry, until it can be shown to be environmentally sustainable.
CCN is a also member of SEPA’s Finfish Aquaculture Advisory Panel. Some members are part of the Salmon Aquaculture Reform Network Scotland (SARNS).
Over the years, members of CCN have been meeting with aquaculture officials from Marine Scotland, SEPA, Crown Estate Scotland, Local Planning Authority representatives, and MSPs. A variety of briefings, consultation responses, letters and press releases have been produced, some of which can be found below.
Cover photo. Farmed salmon © Erling Svensen