大象传媒 Scotland - 大象传媒 Scotland - Salmon farms: a vital industry for the west coast & northern isles of Scotland or the reason for dwindling numbers of wild fish?

Salmon farms: a vital industry for the west coast & northern isles of Scotland or the reason for dwindling numbers of wild fish?

16 October 2018

Salmon farming is a big employer in the west coast and northern isles of Scotland, but is the industry harming the numbers of wild fish in Scottish rivers and having a knock-on economic effect on small towns reliant on fishing tourism?

Landward: Saving Our Salmon met Katrine and Dennis Johnson, who work on a salmon farm, and Raymond Dingwall, a , to find out their opinions.

Katrine Johnson explains how salmon farms have provided an economic lifeline for the island of Unst, Shetland

Katrine talks about the importance of salmon farming in Shetland.

The 208 salmon farms on Scotland’s west coast and northern isles employ approximately 8,000 people. Some of the smaller island communities rely heavily on the industry.

The islands of have a salmon farm that employs 100 people: one tenth of the two islands’ entire population. Almost everyone on the island has a relative that works on the farm.

Katrine and Dennis Johnson are a husband and wife team with more family connection to the salmon farm than most.

Sharing a picture of Dennis, his cousin Francis, his Uncle Brian, and his Uncle Magnus – who started the salmon farm on Unst and Yell – Katrine explained just how crucial it was to keep the salmon farm industry on the islands.

“It’s very important for the future of the islands to have sustainable employment here all the time. It’s jobs that go on all-year round. It’s not seasonal work: it’s permanent full-time work.”

Raymond Dingwall used to work as a ghillie – someone who attends on a fishing expedition – and explained the reason he feels he lost his job.

“In my opinion it’s down to the arrival of aquaculture in the west coast of Scotland. It’s had a massive impact on the greater ecosystem, marine and also wild fish stocks.

“I’ve personally witnessed 400 sea lice on a juvenile seatrout. That is just completely unacceptable: they’ve got no chance of survival. They’re all dying.”

Anywhere there is aquaculture, we all share the same problems.

Raymond also believes declining fish stocks have had a direct impact on the local economy.

“There have been many job losses. The money that was coming in to the area that was being spent on petrol stations, hotels, and pubs is all gone. The wealth from aquaculture goes out of the country. If you look at the social and economic side of rod and line fisheries compared to aquaculture then it doesn’t stack up.”

Landward: Saving Our Salmon

On 大象传媒 iPlayer, an hour-long special in which Landward investigates the plummeting numbers of wild salmon in Scotland鈥檚 rivers.