Fish Health Inspectorate: sea lice information
Aquaculture Production Businesses (APB) involved in Scottish aquaculture are required to report weekly average adult female sea lice data under the Fish Farming Businesses (Reporting) (Scotland) Order 2020.
The Scottish aquaculture industry are required to have satisfactory measures in place for the prevention, control and reduction of sea lice on farm sites. Aquaculture Production Businesses (APB) are required to report the weekly average adult female sea lice numbers per fish on farm sites, under The Fish Farming Businesses (Reporting) (Scotland) Order 2020. This report shall include the information required in the sea lice notification form. It must be made to Scottish Ministers no later than 8 days after the end of the reporting week.
Information held relating to the reporting regime, is obtained by the Marine Directorate, either through industry reporting or via Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) surveillance. The Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) uses this information to check that fish farms have satisfactory measures in place to prevent, control, or reduce sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis). We aim to publish the reported information 12 days after the end of each reporting week on Scotland’s Aquaculture website.
The following limitations must be considered in relation to the published information:
- the information presented is not a comprehensive record of weekly sea lice data. Details of the weekly average adult female sea lice levels per fish as reported by industry or where information has been obtained through FHI surveillance
- the information relates to a live reporting regime and therefore may be subject to change at any point. Changes may not be easily recognisable between published versions and may be ‘historical’. The information is only an accurate record at the point in which information extraction occurred
- in line with the current surveillance regime data older than 3 years (on a calendar year basis) will be archived and not expected to be subject to further change
- where information refers to treatment activity obtained through increased monitoring, this can reflect both actual and planned treatments. In relation to planned treatments these may or may not have taken place
Sea lice reporting guidance
Guidance is available on the mandatory weekly reporting of adult female sea lice counts.
Historical information
This information was obtained through the reporting policy that was in place prior to 29 March 2021. It relates to previous arrangements requiring reporting only where thresholds were met or exceeded, such as weekly average of 2 adult female sea lice per fish).
Between July 2017 and 9 June 2019:
- the reporting level for weekly average adult female sea lice numbers per fish on farm sites was 3.0 or above
Between 10 June 2019 and 28 March 2021:
- the reporting level for weekly average adult female sea lice numbers per fish on farm sites was 2.0 or above
The new policy, as set out above, requires sea lice numbers to be reported weekly irrespective of the count.
Sea lice data from 29 March 2021
Sea lice data from 29 March 2021 is available on Scotland's Aquaculture website.
