Fish Health Inspectorate: Sea lice data reporting guidance

1. Background

1.1. On the 29 March 2021 new legislation, The Fish Farming Businesses (Reporting) (Scotland) Order 2020 (the “2020 Order”) came into force. The 2020 Order requires all Aquaculture Production Businesses (APBs) in Scotland that farm fish (other than in freshwater sites) to report an average number of adult female sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) counted per fish per fish farm site in a given week one week in arrears, to the Scottish Ministers.

1.2. Under section 2 of the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007 it is an offence to fail to comply with the provisions of the 2020 Order.

1.3. Mandatory sea lice reporting is to support the implementation of the Scottish Government’s (SG) sea lice policy and management of sea lice on fish farms. The 2020 Order requires sea lice numbers to be reported weekly in arrears for all sites where fish are farmed, irrespective of the count. Where no count is conducted the reason must be given (see paragraph 4.8).

1.4. The SG’s sea lice policy regarding the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI)’s actions in response to sea lice levels continues to be enforced as set out in the Regulation of sea lice topic sheet. Where a count of 2 or more sea lice is reported at a site the FHI will increase monitoring of the site and where the intervention limit of 6 or more is reached and not reduced enforcement actions will be taken, as per the actions set out in the Regulation of sea lice topic sheet.

1.5. The reported data will be published to promote transparency one week in arrears either on the Marine Directorate’s website or Scotland’s Aquaculture website: Publication of Fish Health Inspectorate information - gov.scot.