Yes. Thank you, convener. Scottish aquaculture is a pivotal provider of approximately 11,700 often highly skilled jobs and livelihoods, many of which are in some of our most remote and fragile communities. In 2019-20, the sector took on 84 modern apprentices. An 18-year-old operative in the sector can expect a starting salary of around £20,000, and after training and gaining experience they can become a farm manager and earn around £40,000. The sector pays an average salary of £38,000, which is significantly higher than salaries in other jobs in remote coastal areas.
We advocate sustainable growth of the sector with due regard for the environment, forby the £880 million that the sector and its wider supply chain contribute to the economy and the £1.4 billion that is spent annually on supplies and capital investments, mostly in Scotland. With that in mind, I will highlight some of the progress that has been made since the committee’s report, and I will talk first about the farmed fish health framework.
Through the framework, we have lowered the thresholds for reporting and intervention to two and six adult female lice per fish, and in 2021 we will go further with a reduction to two and four. We are introducing legislation that will require the reporting of average sea lice weekly in arrears, and the refreshed framework will focus on fish mortality, climate change and the use of treatments.
We are considering our response to the salmon interactions working group report, which will include how implementation will be co-ordinated, and we will ensure that recommendations are prioritised where appropriate. In the new year, we will consult on a risk assessment framework for assessing sea lice interactions with wild salmonids.
We have removed specific grounds for which licences may be granted for fish farmers to take seals, and we are bringing forward mandatory controls relating to wild wrasse harvesting for use as cleaner fish in the salmon farming sector. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency continues to develop its revised fin-fish sector plan, particularly in relation to organic waste discharges.
Sustainability must and will continue to be at the heart of what we do to ensure that future generations can enjoy all the beauty and nature that Scotland has to offer, while safeguarding jobs in local communities. I am pleased that the Scottish salmon sector agrees, as is evident from its blueprint for sustainability, which aligns with, for example, the Scottish Government’s world-leading 2045 net zero targets.
I hope that members agree that there has been much progress since the committee’s report, which demonstrates our commitment to improvement and moving beyond the status quo.