THE NUMBER of fish dying from disease and infection in Scotland’s salmon farms has jumped by nearly 10%, an animal charity has claimed.

OneKind say up to three million fish died, in mortality events between January and March 2018, while almost a third of all stocked salmon farms breached trigger levels for sea lice in January and February.

Salmon on the worst site, Trilleachan Mor, owned by the Scottish Salmon Company, had an average of 7 female lice on each fish in January, OneKind say.

Sea lice are a threat to the welfare of salmon as they feed on the flesh, tissue and scales of fish, leaving tissue exposed. This causes disruption to osmoregulation, leaves fish susceptible to further infection, and can lead to increased stress and mortality.

The data obtained by the charity shows that there have been escapes of farmed salmon, which would threaten the wild populations. Six escapes were reported between January and May 2018, leading to just under 23,000 salmon escaping from salmon farms.

OneKind Director, Harry Huyton said: “Scotland is the largest producer of farmed Atlantic salmon in the EU, and we should be leading the way when it comes to fish welfare. Yet today we have even more evidence that our fish farms are rife with suffering and disease, and that this appalling situation shows no sign of abating. Not only is this unacceptable, but it’s hugely damaging to the industry’s reputation.

“We’re calling for a full and independent review of welfare on fish farms, and in the interim a moratorium on the Scottish Government’s plans to expand the salmon farm industry. This is in the interest of the hundreds of millions of fish that live out their lives in Scotland’s salmon farms, but it’s also critical that the industry gets this right as they urgently need to win back public confidence.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We have undertaken a number of key actions in partnership with industry to protect and support farmed fish, including salmon.

“Earlier this year we launched a 10 Year Farmed Fish Health Framework, which includes measures to improve fish health, protect the marine environment, and ensure Scotland’s number one food export grows sustainably. Last month we also announced a new Salmon Interactions Workstream to provide expert advice on mitigating pressures on salmon.

“The majority of industry continue to manage sea lice below reporting levels, which are currently at their lowest since 2013, and we continue to work with the sector to reduce disease and mortality rates.”

Salmon is Scotland’s single biggest food export – worth £600m – and is thought to provide nearly 2500 jobs.