July 2, 2019 — The UK’s plans to expand Scotland’s salmon farming industry is set to place immense strain on wild-catch fisheries, reports The Scotsman.
According to a report from the environmental NGO Feedback, the decision by the Scottish government to double the output of salmon from its farms by 2030 will require a corresponding increase in fishmeal volumes by two thirds.
In short, Scotland will require an additional 310,000 metric tons of wild-caught fish for fishmeal purposes, on top of the 460,000t already used to feed farmed Scottish salmon each year.
Feedback said the planned expansion would have severe impacts on wild fish stocks, ecosystems, and other communities that rely on wild-caught fish for food.
However, the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) responded that it was working to reduce the amount of fish oil and fishmeal required in a farmed salmon’s diet, as the industry turns increasingly to alternative sources of protein, “particularly plant extracts”.