Letters / Limits need to be determined, set and enforced

Chris Cope’s interesting article of 16 November on the subject of Shetland’s fishermen concerns about salmon fish farm proposed relocations reminded one of viewing the recent BBC Countryfile programme on the subject of fish farms,
and as elaborated on in the relevant Animal Equality article of 2/10/23 linked to here.

There are many reasons put forward for the reported decimation of one in four, near 17 million fish farm salmon deaths in 2022, such as climate change/sea warming, sea lice, pollution and others.

From a personal point of view, one sees the result in the dramatically declining numbers of wild salmon available to be caught in our beautiful rivers, with resultant loss in tourism revenue. This, in areas, partly attributable to fish farms, interbreeding, and disease transfer.

As other items with sensitive environmental issues that may by their introduction affect Shetland, be it a profusion of wind farms to blight the environment on and offshore to satisfy the green needs and financial benefit primarily of others, and populations up to the size of Lerwick arriving near daily in season on cruise liners. In this case sanctioning, or not, the expansion of and/or relocation of salmon fish farms.

One has to hope someone in authority is balancing off the commercial and job benefits to Shetland against the significant environmental degradation that will clearly result from prolific expansion of certain activities.

Limits need to be determined, set and enforced by Shetland, not Edinburgh or corporate HQs elsewhere, to optimally meet the needs of the islanders. This particularly relates to provision of and further development of essential services and power at economical rates, while retaining the character and quality of island life and its environment.

Andrew Marshall
East Kilbride

Growing concern from fishermen about displacement from traditional grounds, SFA says