SQS flags up advances in sea lice control and prevention of escapes Wild salmon: SQS hits at blaming of farming Scottish Quality Salmon chief executive Brian Simpson told the 6th International Salmon Symposium in Edinburgh this week that the Scottish salmon farming industry had made significant progress in addressing many of the issues that critics have blamed for falls in wild salmon numbers. In a presentation titled Overcoming The Problems ­ The Salmon Farmer's View', Simpson noted that major advances have been made in areas such as sea lice control and prevention of escapes. He also paid particular attention to the success of Area Management Agreements where farming, wild fish and regulatory interests work together to ensure effective environmental management. Simpson provided evidence that farming alone cannot be to blame for declining wild salmon numbers. He produced data showing a steady decline since the 1950s, long before salmon farming started, and falling numbers on both west and east coasts of Scotland, the latter where no farming is present. He cited numerous other factors, including over-fishing, climate change, pollution and rising predator numbers that are also likely to have had an impact on salmon numbers. Simpson said: "The media reporting that preceded this symposium was relentlessly negative and has focused on blaming farmers almost to the exclusion of other factors. "In fact, the real picture today is very different and, as people who are attending the symposium will realise, there is a great deal of willingness to find solutions and much positive news for the future sustainability of both wild and farmed salmon." {{MEAT }}

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