Current status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 22 June 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports regarding the Bakkafrost Loch Torridon marine salmon farm site, where fish were allegedly found after the site had been declared fallow and weekly sea lice records were reportedly retrospectively altered, what assessment it has made of whether official reporting requirements were misrepresented; what powers the Fish Health Inspectorate has to investigate inaccurate or misleading declarations and retrospective changes to records, and what penalties, enforcement action or other sanctions have been, or could be, imposed in response.
It is an offence under Section 2 of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007 (‘the 2007 Act’) if an aquaculture business fails to comply with the requirements of the Fish Farming Businesses (Reporting) (Scotland) Order 2020 in respect of sea lice counts, without an appropriate explanation, or to knowingly provide any information which is false in a material particular. An offence under Section 2 of the 2007 Act is punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.
The Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) take potential regulatory breaches seriously, and the 2007 Act provides for inspectors to inspect premises, examine and take copies of records, and as certain levels of parasites, as part of desk-based or on-site investigations, as required, depending on what may be proportionate to the suspected offence.
It was concluded that no offence had been committed on the basis that a reasonable excuse had been provided for not submitting a sea lice count. Legal obligations regarding reporting guidance were strongly emphasised to the operator in this case, in line with the FHI’s Service Charter.
I refer the Member to the Answer to Question S6W-44434 on 20 March 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers