A new research paper controversially claims there has been no impact on wild fish stocks from Scottish salmon farms.
The study, published in the Aquaculture and Fisheries Studies journal, is written by Dr Martin Jaffa who says he has analysed decades of data on wild salmon numbers.
Dr Jaffa, an aquaculture expert who now specialises in the interaction between wild and farmed fish, believes the research should end the “scapegoating of the salmon farming industry as the cause of population declines in wild salmon”.
However this week, wild salmon and trout conservationists dismissed the paper and said numerous reputable studies had found wild stocks are severely impacted by salmon farming.
Dr Jaffa said his paper analyses rod catch data from as far back as 1952, separating this into larger Atlantic salmon which spend up to four years at sea before returning to rivers, and the smaller “grilse” salmon that spend just one winter at sea.
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SALMON STUDY: Fish farms “no impact” on wild stocks, research claims