Vision for sustainable aquaculture

7 Next Steps

This Vision affirms the Scottish Government’s support for aquaculture that develops within environmental limits, and provides lasting social and economic benefits for Scotland.

Delivering the Vision needs collaboration, openness and strategic action to be taken by all stakeholders. Some of the Vision’s outcomes will be the responsibility of government to deliver and others will require our working in close partnership and collaboration with stakeholders. There are some outcomes that will require leadership from others.

There are already several current and forthcoming policies and programmes which will contribute to the outcomes detailed in the Vision, a full list of these workstreams is detailed in Annex B.

Each of these initiatives is an important part of an evolving programme of work which will help ensure that aquaculture flourishes and that this Vision is achieved by 2045.

As a priority, the Scottish Government will make further progress through the review of aquaculture consenting, with the established Consenting Task Group bringing stakeholders together to work to enable a more streamlined aquaculture consenting process.

We will progress delivering our commitments to the Salmon Interactions Working Group and continue working with the sector to support farmed fish health and welfare.

We will progress with work to reduce the risk of escapes from fish farms, including revision and publication of the Technical Standard for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture.

We will consider how we can support communities and stakeholders to realise the Vision as it relates to community benefit and participation.

We will also consider carefully future aquaculture science and evidence needs, including advice from the Scottish Science Advisory Council on the use, communication and commissioning of science and evidence in aquaculture consenting. We will work to ensure that the sustainable development of aquaculture in Scotland is underpinned by sound scientific advice.

We look forward to engaging with all parties to make this Vision real and deliver a sustainable aquaculture sector for Scotland.