August 14, 2007

Call to move UK's fish farms away from salmon rivers

Salmon farms should not be sited where salmon rivers discharge, said John Fredriksen, a major shareholder in Marine Harvest, the world's leading fish farming firm.

Fredriksen was quoted in an interview with a Norwegian newspaper saying that he is concerned about the future of wild salmon and urged fish farming should not be carried out near salmon rivers.

Various organizations such as The Association of Salmon Fishery Boards, the Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland and the Atlantic Salmon Trust and the Salmon and Trout Association (Scotland) have applauded his call.

The statement confirms what has been told to the industry for years - that some salmon farming may be in sites which are incompatible with wild salmon and sea trout, the  Association of Salmon Fishery Boards said.