Scottish salmon farm Loch Duart has just agreed a programme with the West Sutherland
\nFisheries Trust (WSFT) for the monitoring and auditing of its weekly sea lice count activities and
\nthe resulting data. Loch Duart enjoys farming some of the oldest salmon sites in Scotland from
\ntheir base in Sutherland, North West Scotland. Badcall Bay, home to their head office, has
\nbeen farmed since 1975. The WSFT, established in 1996 to monitor and protect wild fish stocks,
\nuses scientific programmes and guided fishery management plans which have a significant,
\npositive impact on wild salmonid populations in the area.<\/p>\n
Loch Duart partnered with the Fisheries Trust in 2018 on the sea trout tracking project in Loch
\nLaxford and is now inviting Trust biologists onto their sites to monitor the farmed stock health
\nchecks, involving sea lice monitoring.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis independent audit fits Loch Duart\u2019s policy on stewardship of the environment and
\ntransparency to local stakeholders,\u201d stated Mark Warrington, Loch Duart\u2019s Managing Director.
\n\u201cThe initiative is a continuation of our support for all bodies involved in caring for the local
\nenvironment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Shona Marshall, Senior Biologist at the Trust, commented:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe that being able to observe routine sea lice counting on a regular basis on farm sites
\nwill allow us to comment objectively on the quality of the lice data that is being submitted. It will
\nalso help us to better understand what is happening in our sea lochs and what the level of
\npotential lice impacts on wild fish might be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sea lice monitoring \u2013 current practice<\/strong><\/p>\n The levels of sea lice on Scottish salmon farms including Loch Duart\u2019s, have been published on The procedures for counting sea lice are laid out in the industry\u2019s Code of Good Practice and Sea lice monitoring \u2013 new procedures<\/strong><\/p>\n Despite this ever-increasing level of transparency on data and long-established industry Trust biologists will: The Trust will provide Loch Duart with a monthly report on their site visits and findings which will Scottish salmon farm Loch Duart has just agreed a programme with the West Sutherland Fisheries Trust (WSFT) for the monitoring and auditing of its weekly sea lice count activities and the resulting data. Loch Duart enjoys farming some of the oldest salmon sites in Scotland from their base in Sutherland, North West Scotland. Badcall Bay, home to their head office, … <\/p>\n
\na voluntary basis through the SSPO since 2013 with details on a site-by-site basis being
\navailable since 2018. At the end of March 2021, it became a statutory requirement for farmers
\nto report lice counts to Marine Scotland on a weekly basis, no later than one week in arrears
\nwhen the Fish Farming Business (Reporting)(Scotland) Order 2020 came into effect.<\/p>\n
\nLoch Duart\u2019s farm personnel are fully trained in this procedure and in the correct identification
\nof sea lice and their various life stages.<\/p>\n
\nroutines, there have been criticisms that the counting of sea lice by farmers themselves lacks
\nindependence. Some critics claim that the reported data is not wholly reliable. The new auditing
\nprovided by WSFT is a further commitment from Loch Duart which underlines their belief in the
\ntransparency of health check monitoring, and the importance of the reliability of sea lice data
\nsubmitted to Marine Scotland. Whilst the Trust receives funding for its service work it is
\nindependent of those for whom it provides services.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 visit 4 different Loch Duart farm sites each month to observe the routine, weekly sea lice
\ncounts being carried out
\n\u2022 monitor the procedures being followed and the recording of the results
\n\u2022 review the data from all sites to establish consistency with the findings at visited sites,
\ngiven the prevailing environmental and biological conditions<\/p>\n
\nbe published on both the Loch Duart and the WSFT websites.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"