Glasgow Crest: The Fish That Never Swam

Salmon jumping over a waterfall. Source: Brandon on Unsplash

By Aidan Foy

“Here is the fish that never swam”…in 1866, these foreshadowing were words were writ at the centre of Glasgow’s coat of arms. A reference to St. Mungo retrieving a lost ring of a Strathclyde royal from the mouth of a fish, and yet, it tells the tale of the precarious situation Scotland’s salmon farms find themselves in today.

People have been fishing in Scotland’s waters for commercial gain for the better half a millennium, our apparent economic reliance on it was a deafening soundbite during the campaign leading to the 2016 EU referendum. Nevertheless, with COP26 now upon us, more questions are being raised as to how sustainable Scotland’s fishing really is.

Scotland has been exporting fish since the medieval period and despite making up around only 8.5% of the UK population, is responsible for 60% of the UK’s total catch from its ports. The demand for salmon is one of the largest contributors to the Scottish fishing economy; it’s estimated that more than one million salmon meals are eaten in the UK every day.

With the value of around £1.8bn to the economy, some lawmakers seem hesitant to address the issues of overfishing, however, there are clear problems in our methods of farming. For instance, as a result of the substantial number of salmon kept in pens, flesh-eating parasites are more easily able to infect Salmon and cause them an extremely painful and stressful death.

Regarding the issue of Sea Lice, Tavish Scott, Chief Executive of the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation, said: “Fish health and welfare will always be our members’ top priority. Scotland’s salmon farmers continue to demonstrate their ability to care for their fish with the upmost professionalism.

“The sector’s commitment to transparency remains paramount and we look forward to working with Marine Scotland to ensure a smooth transition of the reporting initiative, introduced voluntarily by our members a decade ago.”

Another of the issues raised by salmon farming is the possibility for disease to spread. Open-net pens are the most commonly used and these allow for the salmon to escape and, pass on any diseases or parasite they picked up in the stagnant pen.

Despite the vast global demand for salmon, there have been few effective improvements to sustainability. One of the most publicised advancements in technology has been from land-based re-circulation, whereby, the water is treated to remove waste and pollutants. However, this has received further sustainability questions as a result of the usage of water, land and energy involved in the process.

In September 2021, The Scottish Salmon Company (SSC) signed a deal with Norwegian company Nofitech, agreeing a £49mn investment over five years.

Ian Laister, Managing Director of The Scottish Salmon Company, said: “This contract marks the first important milestone in our commitment to incorporate RAS technology across all our freshwater production, which is fundamental to our growth strategy.

“Nofitech’s experience in this field will ensure that SSC is at the leading edge of RAS technology not only at Applecross but at future freshwater facilities.” 

There is no shortage of reasons in favour of salmon farming when viewed through the lens of the individual- if your economic principles allow it. However, the GND and the COP are here to address these issues on the global level- and have encouraged a push towards collectivism. If Scottish people do not wish to be responsible for the ‘fish that never swam,’ they must begin to view these fishing practices with the same outrage they have at ‘Trophy Hunters’ wandering through Africa killing endangered species.