Massive Salmon Mortality Figures Spark Regulatory Outcry in Scotland
Newly released data has exposed a troubling reality within Scotland's aquaculture sector, with more than 35 million unexpected salmon deaths recorded at Scottish farms over a period of just under three years. This staggering mortality figure has ignited fierce criticism from animal welfare organisations, who argue that the current inspection regime is woefully inadequate to protect fish welfare.
Inspection Numbers Fail to Match Scale of Reported Deaths
According to information obtained through a Freedom of Information request by Animal Equality UK, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) conducted inspections at only 21 of Scotland's 213 active salmon farms between January 2023 and October 2025. Remarkably, none of the twenty worst-performing sites, which together accounted for over 10 million deaths, received any inspection during this period.
Despite the Scottish government's website stating that unannounced inspections represent a "statutory requirement," only two such inspections occurred between January 2023 and September 2025, both taking place in 2024. This minimal oversight has raised serious questions about the effectiveness of current regulatory practices.
Campaigners Demand Complete Regulatory Overhaul
Abigail Penny, Executive Director of Animal Equality UK, expressed profound concern about the situation. "A complete overhaul of the regulatory system is essential," she stated. "This low level of scrutiny is embarrassingly poor. How can the cabinet secretary claim regulation is robust when inspections and sanctions are virtually nonexistent? It makes a mockery of the system. Regulators appear far more focused on protecting industry reputation than protecting animals."
The official figures reveal that between January 2023 and October 2025, Scottish farms reported 35,867,788 salmon deaths. However, Animal Equality suggests the actual number is likely significantly higher, as fish culled, those dying during transport, mortalities occurring within the first six weeks at sea, and so-called "cleanerfish" are excluded from these statistics. Estimates indicate that at least 7 million cleanerfish, which remove lice from caged salmon, have perished on Scottish salmon farms since 2020.
Regulatory Response and Industry Defence
The APHA has received twenty-two complaints regarding fish welfare abuses since 2022, yet has never issued a formal warning, care notice, or referred any case to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. Of the twenty complaints investigated, twelve resulted in actions limited to verbal or written advice and follow-up visits.
Notably, APHA refused to disclose inspection report forms to Animal Equality, arguing that their release "would likely result in significant detriment to the companies, negatively impacting their ability to conduct business, manage their reputation and their ability to protect their business."
A spokesperson for the Scottish government defended the current approach, stating: "The fish health inspectorate undertakes approximately 250 statutory finfish site inspections per year as part of listed diseases surveillance. These can be pre-arranged, undertaken at short notice or be unannounced in response to intelligence-based reports. Inspectors are trained and experienced in spotting systemic issues related to fish health and biosecurity."
Salmon Scotland, representing the industry, countered that its farmers operate to some of the highest health, welfare and environmental standards globally. A spokesperson argued that activists often "present a misleading picture" of farm operations, adding: "More than £1bn has been invested in innovation, veterinary care, technology and stock management to continually improve welfare."
Parliamentary Scrutiny Intensifies
The Scottish Parliament's Rural Affairs and Islands Committee is scheduled to question salmon farming executives on 25th February as part of an ongoing inquiry. This follows the committee's criticism last January of the government's "slow progress" in regulating the salmon farming industry.
An APHA spokesperson commented: "We treat all reports of suspected cases of poor welfare at salmon farms seriously and all are assessed by our vets. We work closely with local authorities and the fish health inspectorate to manage each case through our standard process of triage and assessment."
As the debate continues, the significant disconnect between reported mortality figures and inspection frequency raises fundamental questions about transparency, accountability, and animal welfare standards within one of Scotland's most important rural industries.
