Chamber and committees

Cost benefit analysis is, ultimately, done on an application basis and undertaken by the planning authorities, because they have to consider all of the different issues in the round: the economic, social, and environmental impacts all have to be considered and adequately balanced. Environmental impact assessments also have to be undertaken as part of that work.

It is also important to recognise that, in relation to the environmental impact of any applications that come forward, SEPA simply would not permit or grant a licence for an application to proceed if it was felt that there would be an adverse environmental impact.

It is done on a case-by-case basis, because there are really important factors that have to be weighed up by local authorities when they are considering those applications.

I am not considering undertaking that piece of work because, as I have outlined, we have the information about the impact on our overall economy. We want a sector that operates within environmental limits and, given the regulations that we have in place, I believe that it does so. I therefore do not see the need for a holistic exercise to be undertaken. Again, all those considerations have to be factored in at the application stage.

Overall, that would be a question for the local authorities to look at. As I outlined in my response to the previous question, they consider the economic, social, and environmental impacts. However, in considering the industry as a whole, I absolutely recognise Rhoda Grant’s point—we can see that benefit. I know that the committee also heard in evidence from the industry itself about the local impact of the well-paid jobs that it provides in island and rural communities.

I do not think that that is the case.

I do not want to get into that—the committee asked me during my previous appearance about what an optimum target would be, but I do not think that that is a helpful conversation to have. We are not content with where we are, and everybody is striving to do better to see the situation improve.

Again, we have to be optimistic about our ability to try to address some of those challenges. That is why the investment in the science and the work that is being taken forward in that regard is so important.

I mentioned the work that SAIC is undertaking on algal blooms to try to predict where that might happen again. There is investment in technology in relation to microjellyfish, which has been used more widely in other countries, and which we can use in Scotland to try to address some of these challenges.

It is also important that we look ahead and try to get in front of whatever is coming next, because there will always be another challenge coming down the line.

There are a few points in there. I would touch on Jill Barber’s earlier response about all the various packages of work that are under way. I also touch on the point that Emma Roddick raised about the appropriateness of sites and how that could be looked at. Again, there is a package of work under way in relation to that.

On your point about requiring farms to reduce mortalities, I struggle to see what the purpose of that would be. If, for example, an environmental challenge arises that could not be predicted, how does a farm deal with that? How does a farm deal with a situation that could lead to an increase in mortalities that is outwith its control?

Again, I stress that there is no bigger incentive than already exists for the industry to reduce mortalities. Mortalities are not good, not least in terms of fish health impacts but also for the business overall, from an economic point of view. It is in everybody’s best interests to address mortalities, and—as Hazel Bartels said—to ensure that we are doing everything that we can to tackle mortalities and, through scientific work, to address the causes. In that way, we can try to get ahead of some of the challenges that we know will continue to come down the line.

There are a few points in there. You say that SEPA has not produced compliance assessments. First, all that information is published, but the specific compliance assessment is a piece of work that SEPA will introduce next year. The levels are published at the moment, but SEPA is actively working on the compliance aspect and will be taking that forward next year.

As you say, it can be difficult for people to extrapolate the information that they need or make comparisons, because of how the data is presented. It is collected in those ways for different purposes and for each of those organisations’ reasons. What the industry needs that data for could be different from what we need that data for in the marine directorate, what FHI needs it for or what SEPA needs it for.

I just mentioned the work that we could take forward on setting out a document that could help explain all that information and bring it together in a better way. All the general information that we have in relation to aquaculture is published on the Scotland’s Aquaculture website. More work could be done overall on the ease of accessibility of that information, but that comes back to a prioritisation discussion. All the general information is published on that website, and a website or information technology overhaul could be a very expensive process.

I have outlined some of the pieces of work that are on-going in relation to the consenting task group. SEPA’s sea lice framework is being implemented, so the issue is about how that work would fit in with our overall prioritisation.

Steps are being taken to make more of the information more communicable. SEPA is introducing its work next year, and we will be working on trying to get an explainer together, particularly in relation to mortality.

Yes.

It comes back to the overall causes. A whole heap of information is published—it is reported openly and transparently. Again, as I have just outlined, every body that is involved collects it for a different purpose, which is why it is set out in different ways.

I would not want that to be interpreted as meaning that there is a gap in regulation. We covered the mortalities in the previous set of questions about interventions. I am sure that Charles Allan will correct me if I am wrong on this, but we have talked about the environmental causes of those mortalities and, if they were caused by a listed disease, the fish health inspectorate has the ability to take action in relation to that, where those powers are set out. However, when there is an environmental cause, such as the harmful algal blooms, that is outwith the control of the fish farmers themselves.

Charles Allan can explain a bit more about the powers in relation to listed disease and where that has been seen to be a problem.

As I outlined in my opening comments, we realise that there is always more work to be done. This is one area in which we agreed with the recommendations, and we still intend to take them forward.

However, as I have mentioned today, the issue is how we prioritise this work. Overall, it was felt that, as we already have a regime in place for escapes, the priority should be to address potential gaps. That is why there has been a focus on taking forward the work on sea lice, and there is also the work that we are doing on the consenting task group.

It is therefore not possible for me to set a definitive timescale at the moment, but we are still intending to deliver that work. Again, it is a case of factoring it in alongside all the other work that we are taking forward at the moment.