Current status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 25 February 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports that the Scottish salmon industry recorded 1,274 weekly sea lice counts exceeding the industry’s Code of Good Practice guidelines in the last year, and whether it considers that the current regulatory framework for sea lice management is adequate.
The sea lice levels referred to in the Code of Good Practice are suggested criteria at which producers should consider treatment to prevent build up of gravid female sea lice They are not a regulatory standard and have no bearing in the regulation of sea lice for fish health purposes.
The Scottish Government’s approach to sea lice management is set out in the document entitled The Sea Lice Regulation in Scotland’ This includes the level of sea lice per fish at which the Fish Health Inspectorate will intervene or take enforcement action. It represents a robust regulatory approach to sea lice management.
Industry actions in response to the regulatory regime delivered the lowest sea lice numbers on record in 2024. These were similarly low in early 2025, rising later in the year within expected levels of seasonal variability.
A risk-based regulatory framework is implemented by SEPA for the purpose of managing the risk that sea lice from fish farms pose to wild salmonids. Separate thresholds for sea lice management may be applied on a temporal or locational basis to specific farms through licence conditions.