Salmon farms across Scotland have lodged 210 appeals against controls on lice infestations imposed by the Scottish Government’s environment watchdog, prompting outrage from campaigners.
The appeals are the latest and most dramatic move in the multinational salmon industry’s long-running campaign to block lice controls being introduced by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) to protect wild fish.
According to Sepa, the sea lice that often plague caged salmon can spread to wild salmon and trout as they swim by, and kill them. This is disputed by salmon farming companies.
Campaigners accused the companies of showing “utter contempt” for regulation, and of having “effectively sabotaged” lice controls. They called on consumers to boycott farmed salmon, and for ministers to halt any growth in the industry.
The salmon industry insisted that Sepa’s controls would have an “unacceptable” impact on business and “will not work”. It had “no alternative” to making the appeals but regretted having to do so, it said.
The Scottish Government said it was working with Sepa to “consider any implications” of the appeals. Sepa promised to continue to implement sea lice controls “to ensure environmental protection”.
After two inquiries by the Scottish Parliament in 2018, the Scottish Government set up a working group involving salmon companies to consider the impact of lice. In 2021, that resulted in ministers appointing Sepa to manage the problem.
Sepa conducted two consultations in 2021 and 2023, and in 2024 started introducing a scheme for controlling lice numbers at individual farms. It was “a risk targeted and evidence-led approach to protecting salmon and sea trout from sea lice from fish farms,” Sepa said.
The Ferret revealed in December 2024 that salmon farms were refusing to provide Sepa with information on numbers of fish and lice. We reported earlier that the salmon industry had lobbied ministers against the controls nine times in 2023.
Now it has emerged that salmon companies have appealed against Sepa’s statutory notices seeking to limit lice numbers at nearly every farm in Scotland. In a footnote to a response to a third inquiry by the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Government said on 13 March 2025 that 210 appeals had been received by its Department of Planning and Appeals.
“In the coming weeks officials will work with Sepa to consider any implications for this year’s work plan,” the government added. There are fears that the number of appeals could significantly delay the introduction of lice controls.
“Attempts to strengthen necessary controls on fish farm sea lice numbers within a new improved Sepa risk assessment framework already look to be effectively sabotaged,” said professor Andrew Watterson, an expert on environmental regulation from the University of Stirling.
“It appears the framework is being overloaded, if not destroyed, by the very large number of appeals against Sepa about limits on sea lice numbers from multinational companies.”
He added: “As a strategy for gaining public and regulatory confidence in what they do, the industry’s welter of appeals against reasonable regulation looks seriously misplaced.”
Salmon industry shows ‘utter contempt’ for Sepa
The campaign group, WildFish, warned that the salmon farming lobby held “far too much power” over ministers and regulators. “The recent legal appeals by the salmon farming industry lay bare the utter contempt this industry shows for MSPs, regulators and anyone who dares try to curb its polluting operations,” said the group’s Scotland director, Rachel Mulrenan.
“The industry claims to be the best regulated in the world, and yet takes legal action against any attempts to implement regulation,” she told The Ferret.
“This latest development must be a wake up call. It’s time to step away from farmed salmon – as consumers, and as a nation.”
The Green MSP Ariane Burgess described the conditions in Scotland’s salmon farms as “frankly shocking”, saying that a quarter of the fish died in the cages. “It’s completely unsustainable and risks long-term damage to our marine environment, our rural communities, and the international reputation of our industry,” she said.
“Just as shocking is the ongoing failure to enforce regulations and improve these conditions. If the system is unable to deal with the volume of cases, then Sepa and the Scottish Government must take immediate action.”
Burgess reiterated her call for “a pause” on all new salmon farms or expansions of existing ones. “This would allow for proper enforcement and for the industry to clean up its act,” she argued.
Salmon firms ‘regret’ having to make appeals
The industry body Salmon Scotland, however, maintained that Sepa’s lice controls would have an “unacceptable” impact on businesses. There were “significant and fundamental issues” with the notices issued by Sepa, it said in a letter to Scottish ministers on 12 March 2025.
“Given the scale and magnitude of our concerns, farming businesses were left with no alternative but to appeal the variation notices. We regret having to take this position,” wrote the group’s chief executive and former LibDem MSP, Tavish Scott.
“The appeals in no way affect our sector’s commitments around farmed and wild fish interactions, nor our businesses investment in lice management. We continue to operate to all existing agreements and legal obligations in relation to lice management and potential interactions.”
Salmon Scotland represents the big four salmon companies active in Scotland. They are Norwegian-owned Mowi and Scottish Sea Farms, Faroese-owned Bakkafrost and Canadian-owned Cooke Aquaculture.
Scott told The Ferret: “We support better regulation, not more red tape. We want an evidence-based, scientifically backed framework that helps local authority planners make decisions.
“We will continue to work with regulators on a better approach. Sepa’s current plan will not work and leaves business with no option but to appeal.”
The Scottish Government confirmed that 210 appeals had been lodged, and said an independent reporter would be appointed to take decisions on them.
“Given these are live appeals, it would not be appropriate to comment on the merits of the appeals or their handling at this stage,” a government spokesperson added.
“We remain committed to supporting Scotland’s salmon farming sector but also to implementation of the sea lice risk assessment framework under Sepa.”
A spokesperson for Sepa said: “Having been identified by Scottish ministers as the lead body responsible for managing the risk to wild salmon and sea trout from sea lice from fish farms, Sepa will continue to implement the sea lice regulatory framework to ensure environmental protection from existing and new development.”
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Cover image thanks to iStock/13threephotography.
