Increased use of pesticides in Scottish fish farming is being challenged by a petition
The Care2petition website is carrying the following advice: “Fish farming is not always environmentally friendly, especially when it involves the use of large quantities of agricultural pesticides.
In Scotland, intensive salmon farms use large quantities of pesticides to keep fish pests, notably sea lice under control. The sea lice are now developing resistance, and the plan is to actually increase pesticide use.
The problem is that, in an aquatic environment, the chemicals do not stay put. A chemical that is toxic to one sort of invertebrate, in this case sea lice (a type of tiny crustacean), is going to damage many others, in particular related species such as crabs.
Increasing pesticide use is also counter-productive – the pests develop resistance. More chemicals are not the answer and will only harm both the marine environment and the long term future of aquaculture.
Ask the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to stop an increase in the use of sea pesticides.”
The petition is addressed to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.To sign the petition, visit http://www.thepetitionsite.com/777/303/121/cut-the-use-of-sea-pesticides-in-scotland/?z00m=20409191 )
Source: Care2petionsite Newsletter, September 2012.
Marinet observes: The problems of fish farming in Scotland were recently reported on the Marinet website where the Scottish Government have been accused of “data cleansing” fish farming statistics. Also see a submission by Marinet to the Scottish Government on whether fish farming is acceptable or not.
