§ 74. Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the effect of(a) deliberate release of fish from fish farms and (b) accidental escape of fish from fish farms on the habits and genetic coding of North Atlantic salmon.
§ Mr. LangA study of "genetic protein variation in farmed Atlantic salmon in Scotland: comparison of farmed strains with their wild source of populations" was published in August in "Scottish Fisheries Research Report No. 42". Further studies on both wild and farmed populations of salmon have been completed or are in progress.
At this stage it is too early to predict what scientific conclusions might emerge. The recently published work does show that there are genetic differences between farmed strains of salmon and the wild populations from which they are drawn. The genetic consequences of interaction between farmed fish and a wild stock are unknown but are thought likely to be complex. So far there is no direct evidence of adverse effects of actual damage to any wild stocks in Scotland.
A Report "The Genetic Impact of Farmed Atlantic Salmon on Wild Populations" was published by the 739W Nature Conservancy Council in August. This made a number of recommendations about further research and about mangement of wild and farmed stocks of salmon. We support the view that further studies are required and that great care is needed to ensure that deliberate restocking of rivers is carried out in the right way and that releases of farmed fish are prevented or reduced as far as possible.