Written Question · S6W-36400 · Session 6
In light of (a) data from the Animal Law Foundation suggesting that there have been no prosecutions or care notices issued regarding welfar…
The question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of (a) data from the Animal Law Foundation suggesting that there have been no prosecutions or care notices issued regarding welfare issues on fish farms and (b) the recommendation by the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee in its report, Follow-up inquiry into salmon farming in Scotland, what steps it plans to ensure that the (i) fish farming industry fully understands and complies with its legal welfare requirements for farmed fish across their entire lifecycle and (ii) welfare law to protect farmed fish is applied.
The answer
The Scottish Government, in its response to the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee (13 March 2025), committed to exploring options for how to best to set welfare standards for production going forward and will update the Committee in September 2025 on progress and next steps.The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) are responsible for considering welfare complaints and investigating potential breaches in welfare legislation. A lack of prosecution does not equate to a lack of enforcement; actions such as provision of verbal advice, written advice and follow-on visits are also legitimate elements of enforcement.APHA veterinarians will continue to apply their professional knowledge and training to assess fish welfare against the provisions set out in The Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, and use a range of evidence when considering whether obligations have been breached.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S6W-36400 by reference.