Implementation of SEPA’s Sea Lice Framework
Summary
Agency board report number: SEPA 51/23 - November 2023
SEPA issued its second consultation on the development of its new regulatory framework covering the loss of sea lice from open pen salmonid production in May 2023. The consultation closed in September. This paper asks the Board to approve the proposed implementation date for the framework on 1 February 2024 for the west coast and 1 February 2025 for the northern Isles.
For Approval
For Public session of the Board
Lin Bunten, Acting Chief Officer, Compliance
Martin Marsden, Peter Pollard, Mike Montague and Josh Shank
Introduction
In October 2021, the Scottish Government decided that SEPA would be the responsible authority for the regulation of sea lice from marine fish farms so as to protect wild salmonids. In December 2021, SEPA issued its first consultation on the principles of the regulatory framework, and in May 2023 SEPA consulted on the detail of the framework. This consultation closed on 15 September 2023.
On 8 November 2023 the key proposals were presented to the Corporate Leadership Team (CLT), and these were approved. Specifically, CLT approved the implementation of the framework on 1 February 2024 (prior to the 2024 salmon runs). CLT delegated responsibility for signing off the final text of SEPA's consultation response that specifies the revised framework, in response to consultation feedback, to the Acting Chief Officer for Compliance and the Executive Director for Evidence and Flooding. On 24 October 2023, the SEPA team presented to the Strategy Board meeting an overview of the feedback and our key proposals. These proposals were noted.
It is intended to present the final text for approval on 30 November 2023 and publish in the subsequent week.
Recent engagement
On 17 November 2023, the SEPA team met with the CEOs of the major fish farming companies and, separately, the key parties of the Fishery and Environmental groups, and explained our proposed response. Scottish Government officials attended both meetings and remain supportive.
We were not presented, at either session, with any information that caused us to modify our proposals though some conversations on details were helpful. The sessions helped identify areas of the consultation feedback where we need to strengthen the explanations.
Proposal
We propose to implement the regime on 1 February 2024 in advance of the 2024 Salmon post-smolt migration to sea. This meets the policy objective we were given by Scottish Government.
As SEPA has said throughout the consultation processes, we cannot implement the regime in the Northern Isles at the same time. There are no significant salmon populations in the Northern Isles, and we need more time to develop our understanding of sea trout populations and to develop models for the northern isles.
Recommendations
The Board is asked to note that SEPA has followed due process to develop the consultation and that we regard our engagement with stakeholders to have been consistent with best practice.
The Board is asked to approve the implementation of the framework on 1 February 2024 for the west coast and 1 February 2025 for the Northern Isles.