COMMENTING on recent estimates of food and drink exports, Susan Beattie of Scottish Development International referred to Scotland’s “extensive larder of natural, high-quality products” (Scots food exports to EU now worth £2.5bn, The National, October 16).

Bearing in mind that farmed salmon makes up a huge proportion of these exports, this statement is, at the very least, highly questionable.

I would be interested to know what part of the production of farmed salmon is “natural”. To my mind this is an industry out of control and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Government have little idea how to put this supposed genie back in the bottle.

What is really worrying is that the Scottish Government wants to encourage the fish farming industry to expand over the next decade or so.

How about reducing rather that increasing caged fish densities and taking steps to support the opportunities for local fisheries around our coasts? In other words, start controlling an unsustainable industry and encourage a “natural” fishery.

Roddie Macpherson, Avoch