Request
- Please provide copies of any maps detailing the locations of salmon farms in Scotland.
- Please provide a list of all salmon farms leases including grid references, names, geographical information (e.g. GIS studies) and other locational details.
- Please include salmon farm leases which have expired as well as existing and current applications.
As context, GAAIA is looking to access an existing map (or series of maps) or produce a new map detailing how the salmon farming industry has expanded around the Scottish coast (i.e. from inshore areas such as Loch Glencoul to more exposed locations).
Response
Attached is a pdf map/plan of all the current finfish (salmon) site leases, plus the associated shape files for those sites which can be loaded onto a GIS software to provide both graphic and attribute data – co-ordinates, file reference, etc. Also this website has useful map information relating to aquaculture: http://aquaculture.scotland.gov.uk/default.aspx
Attached is an excel spreadsheet listing all the finfish leases which can be used in conjunction with the shapefiles and map provided. Also, a spreadsheet of current Lease Option Agreements for finfish, which would be the equivalent to applications.
This third part of your request didn’t quite match up with the context you provided in your initial request: ‘As context, GAAIA is looking to access an existing map (or series of maps) or produce a new map detailing how the salmon farming industry has expanded around the Scottish coast’.
As discussed, via telephone conversation, showing an expansion/movement of salmon farming sites graphically would not be that clear since most of the sites we have as ‘current’ have been around for many years – the majority still in active use but a number inactive but retained anyway. The expansion has been more to do with increasing the permitted biomass on existing sites that were suitable, both in more and less exposed locations, than any clear move into new sites at more exposed locations. So a true picture of industry growth is most likely to be a product of several datasets (from several agencies I anticipate– spatial, biomass consenting and active vs inactive records.
