ANIMAL campaigners have sounded the alarm over the welfare concerns of so-called cleaner fish on Scottish salmon farms.
In a bid to avoid using chemicals to treat sea lice that infest salmon confined in cages, many in the fish farming industry use lumpsuckers and ballan wrasse.
These so-called cleaner fish feed on the marine insects.
But in a new report, OneKind say they have concerns over high mortality rates, the need to provide supplementary food and shelter, and negative interactions with other fish.
They also say studies have shown that there are also personality variations among lumpsuckers meaning that not all fish will actually perform a sea lice cleaning role on salmon farms.
OneKind director Bob Elliot said: “Millions of cleaner fish are used by the salmon farming industry each year, and yet, despite this, their welfare is often forgotten.
“Our report aims to bring together the current information on cleaner fish welfare on salmon farms in Scotland which we hope will improve welfare standards across the industry.
“It’s clear that there are still huge gaps in the data and information available and welfare concerns like high mortality, disease and need for supplementary food and shelter urgently need to be addressed.”
In 2016, 1.5m farmed cleaner fish were used on Scottish salmon farms.
It’s predicted that number will rise to 10m individuals by 2020.
It is also thought that up to a million wrasse each year are caught for the salmon farming industry in Scotland.
OneKind have called for a moratorium on the use of cleaner fish until their welfare is safeguarded through increased research, development of detailed welfare standards and increased collection and publication of data.
Julie Hesketh-Laird, CEO of the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation said the industry had strict guidelines on how to handle the lice eaters: “The use of cleaner fish like wrasse has become an important and effective biological way to manage sea lice on salmon farms, reducing the need to use medicinal treatments.
“Around two-thirds of Scottish salmon farms are currently authorised by the Government’s Fish Health Inspectorate to use cleaner fish.
“The use of wild wrasse on salmon farms should meet the latest requirements in the RSPCA Assured standards.
“The salmon farming industry’s Code of Good Practice also covers handling practices, health checks and the adequate provision of hides.
“The Code of Good Practice is constantly under review as more is understood about these fish.”
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