Today, Wednesday 25 February at 9am, the Rural Affairs & Islands Committee of the Scottish Parliament will hold a stakeholder roundtable session to assess what progress has been made by the Scottish Government in implementing recommendations the Committee set out in its January 2025 report.

The Committee’s report concluded that, although the ‘status quo’ has changed to some extent since 2018, the slow rate of progress in improving the regulation and enforcement of the industry needed to be addressed as a matter of urgency to future-proof the industry and to enable it to grow sustainably.

It asked the Scottish Government to set out a clear timetable for the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations, including how implementation would be measured.

The Scottish Government issue an initial response on 13 March 2025; followed by a further interim update on 23 September 2025.

On Wednesday, the Committee will take evidence from:

• Professor Cathy Dwyer, Chair, Scottish Animal Welfare Commission;
• Ben Hadfield, Director, Salmon Scotland;
• Amy Jennings, Veterinary Lead, Animal and Plant Health Agency;
• Peter Pollard, Senior Lead, Projects, Scottish Environment Protection Agency;
• Neil Purvis, Delivery Lead, Fish Health Inspectorate, Marine Directorate, Scottish Government;
• Dr Alan Wells, Chief Executive, Fisheries Management Scotland;

…before taking evidence from the Cabinet Secretary on 11 March 2026.

You can find out more about the Committee’s scrutiny of the sector here.

You can access the meeting papers and agenda here and watch the session live here.

Urgent Action Needed to Improve Regulation & Enforcement of the Scottish Farmed Salmon Industry