That it has taken over ten days for news to leak through is even more alarming. Yet another mass escape, blows out of the water claims that Scottish salmon farming is 'the most tightly regulated industry in the world'. With an estimated 250,000 farm escapes over the last two years, the Scottish Executive's 'Escapes Committee' have a lot of salmon to catch. In failing to keep salmon farming in check, the Government is playing ecological roulette with both the environment and wild fisheries. We are only allowed to give specific details for prosecution, or in other circumstances with the express written permission of the companies concerned.
Most escapes are the result of storm damage to nets.
In response to the increasing problem of escapes from salmon farms the 'Escapes Committee' was set up by the Scottish Office in 1997 . The Scottish Executive published the first 'Policy Guidance' on Marine Fish Farming last month. Lagoons are a priority habitat in the EU Habitats Directive. Since May 1998 the number of salmon farms in Scotland which have been suspected of the disease is 24 with a further 11 confirmed cases. Annual production could be in the region of 14,000 tonnes, equivalent to total Scottish output in 1987.