Dýra- og náttúruverndarsamtök í Skotlandi hafa skorað á stjórnvöld að hefja tafarlausar neyðarskoðanir á sjókvíaeldisstöðvum við landið vegna óviðunandi aðbúnaðar eldisdýranna. Eins og svo víða annars staðar hafa laxalúsarfaraldrar og sjúkdómar hafa verið viðverandi vandamál í skosku laxeldi. Afleiðingarnar eru að mjög hátt hlutfall eldisfisks drepst í kvíunum.
Rúmlega 200 sjókvíaeldisstöðvar eru við Skotland og hefur ársframleiðslan verið um 150 þúsund tonn. Hún var þó verulega minni í fyrra vegna lúsavandans og sjúkdóma.
“Demands for “emergency” inspections of all salmon farming operations are to be put to the Scottish government later.
Campaigners from consumer group SumOfUs will deliver the 40,000-signature petition to Marine Scotland.
The petition warns of a “surge of deaths” over the summer and cites evidence of serious welfare abuses at some of Scotland’s salmon farms.
Salmon producers insist the sector operates to an unparalleled level of transparency.
The petition requests urgent action from Marine Scotland because a rise in sea temperatures over the summer months increases the likelihood of disease among salmon populations.
Anna Liberadzki, a campaigner at SumOfUs, said: “For years, we’ve known that Scottish salmon cultivation is as horrific as battery farming. Recent footage of the terrible conditions on salmon farms shows that the problem is only getting worse.
“Marine Scotland must step in. The alternative is a summer surge of salmon deaths and disease.”