Assessing the interactions and effects of sea lice on wild salmon populations: final report of project FW0050

Policy developments for aquaculture interactions management during FW0050

From 2015-2025 the policy relevant to sustainable aquaculture and salmon conservation was informed by the publication of several key reports. These reports were supported, in part, by information provided by the MD through the FW0050 ROAME and associated projects. The recommendations of the reports influenced the subsequent direction of the research undertaken in FW0050.

The Farmed Fish Health Framework (FFHF) was published in 2018 Scotland’s farmed fish health framework and established priority areas for the need to share data on parasites and diseases affecting aquaculture with seven key foci for work, including sea lice. Although this report was mostly concerned with managing sea lice on farms, rather than interactions, it pushed for the development of hydrodynamic models as a specific goal for improved sea lice management, dovetailing with FW0050 work aims.

The Salmon Interactions Working Group (SIWG) produced a report in 2020 on interactions Salmon interactions working group report which introduced 40 recommendations for measures to reduce interactions between farmed and wild salmon. This report identified escaped fish and sea lice as pressures associated with aquaculture on wild salmonids. In response to the report the Scottish Government undertook to develop a spatially based risk assessment framework for managing sea lice and conduct research to understand the geographic extent of introgression in wild fish populations.

In 2020 The Scottish Government produced A Blue Economy Vision for Scotland Blue economy vision for Scotland under which the SG supported a healthy environment, a resilient marine economy and sustainable sea food production, among its seven aims. This requires an optimal balance, and FW0050 was an important source of information to support this vision.

In 2023 Scottish Government delivered its Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture, which sets out our overarching ambitions for the sector and the key outcomes we want to see and achieve, including our commitment to managing sea lice through adaptive regulation and innovation to help protect Scotland’s wild and farmed salmonids.

The Sea Lice Risk Assessment Framework was developed by SEPA after considerable consultation with stakeholders with implementation beginning in 2024 SEPA regulatory framework for aquaculture. This framework used model development and validation developed under FW0050 to support spatial management. SEPA went on to develop its own model using information from FW0050 and related projects.