GREATER TRANSPARENCY IN ANTIBIOTIC REPORTING

Greater transparency in antibiotic reporting . The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has announced it is to publish monthly antibiotic use for each salmon farm. Currently, antibiotic usage is collated at company level and reported annually.

Starting next year, month level data on a farm-by-farm basis will be recorded on Scotland’s Aquaculture Database and updated quarterly.

This is in line with sector reporting of fish survival and sea lice, both of which are also reported on a farm- by-farm monthly basis.

Scottish Sea Farms Head of Veterinary Services Ronnie Soutar said:

“Across human and animal medicine alike, the drive is rightly on to reduce antibiotic usage – a key threat to global health.

“Not only will the move to monthly reporting further increase transparency, but it will also serve as a regular measure of performance in this area.”

Whilst Scottish Sea Farms has recorded zero antibiotic usage on all salmon sold for two consecutive years, sector usage increased from 29.3mg/kg in 2020 to 43.1mg/kg in 2021 – a record year for salmon production, with more fish in the water for longer following the Covid disruption.

“As with any farmer raising livestock, the conditions in which we operate continue to bring new challenges, and as such it’s important that antibiotic use remains open to us when in the best interests of fish welfare,” said Soutar.

“That said, it’s incumbent on all producers to keep applying the lessons learned to keep antibiotic usage to an absolute minimum.

“At Scottish Sea Farms, we will continue to follow the maxim ‘as little as possible, as much as necessary’.”