Meeting of the Parliament 20 March 2025 [Draft]
We take those points on board. It is very important that, before the 12 months are up, the committee has the opportunity to see whether there has been satisfactory progress. We now have a timetable, but we have to ensure that the Government actually sticks to that.
The committee had hoped that our report would be a wake-up call for the Scottish Government and that it would see that its current approach is not working. However, having read the cabinet secretary’s response, I cannot help but feel a bit dismayed about how few of the committee’s recommendations the Scottish Government has committed to act on.
I also struggle to see the Scottish Government acknowledge the seriousness of the challenges that the industry faces. That is important, because it is vital that the sector can overcome those challenges so that we can continue to enjoy the benefits that salmon farming brings to the Scottish economy and to support the jobs and economic development that it provides in rural communities. I am sure that we can all agree on that.
In the spirit of the report, I hope that the cabinet secretary will listen carefully to the feedback from members across the chamber this afternoon about how we can build a more sustainable and prosperous salmon farming sector in Scotland. I look forward to hearing the contributions of all members but, for now, I commend our report to the Parliament.
I move,
That the Parliament notes the conclusions and recommendations contained in the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee’s 1st Report, 2025 (Session 6), Follow-up inquiry into salmon farming in Scotland (SP Paper 720).