Anne Anderson, Founding Director TirMara Advisory, in front of the Scottish Parliament.
Photo: Craig Stephen Photography.
On May 7, the Scots are called to elect the new members of their Parliament and, according to the former regulatory chief and respected sustainability specialist Anne Anderson, this election could and should be a "watershed moment" for salmon farming in Scotland.
Previously Chief Officer of the Regulatory portfolio at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), before joining the Scottish salmon sector to introduce its first-ever sustainability charter, Anderson believes that, after almost a decade of scrutiny, reviews and incremental reforms, but without perceptible progress, a new government represents "a must-seize opportunity" to solve the persistent problems affecting the sector.
"The landmark Parliamentary inquiry into salmon farming in 2018 and subsequent reviews highlight that politicians from all parties recognise how important the sector is to Scotland, particularly its rural communities," Anderson said. "However, these same reviews also highlight that the original areas of concern remain. Namely, fish welfare, environmental impact, prolonged consultation processes, regulatory delay, and unclear accountability."
The senior regulatory expert—who in February left her most recent role as Head of Sustainability & Development at Scottish Sea Farms to launch specialist consultancy TirMara Advisory—stated that the upcoming elections in May represent the perfect springboard for the change the sector has been demanding for so long, and urged the new administration to pick up the mantle and translate the accumulated knowledge into practical solutions to existing realities.
In fact, a recent survey by Lord Ashcroft Polls—a company founded by former Conservative MP and polling expert Michael Ashcroft, known for working with rigorous data—indicates that the most urgent priorities for Scots are, in this order, healthcare, the cost of living, the economy and employment, immigration, poverty and inequality, housing, and education.
Precisely, its contribution to the economy and employment in Scotland, especially in coastal communities, are two aspects that Scottish salmon can boast about, as Salmon Scotland recalled last February after the figures published by HMRC (His Majesty's Revenue & Customs) confirmed that it had remained the king of UK food exports in 2025.
The trade body then emphasized that, produced in waters off the north west Highlands, Argyll and Bute, the Western Isles, Orkney, and Shetland, the salmon farming sector directly employs around 2,500 people in coastal communities of Scotland, with a further 8,500 jobs supported across the supply chain, generating GBP 1 billion a year for the economy.
As Anne Anderson now pointed out, the upcoming elections will determine who governs Scotland in key areas such as the economy, rural affairs, and the environment—issues that will directly affect the salmon industry. This is even more relevant given that one of the parties running in these elections, the Scottish Green Party, has released a manifesto pledging to pause all new salmon farms and any expansions of existing ones until the industry demonstrably improves fish welfare.
However, the Founding Director of TirMara Advisory also said that a new government alone will not bring the necessary level of change, so she urged all sides of the debate—for, against, and undecided—to adopt a more collaborative approach.
"It's time to relinquish the old ways of doing and thinking and move forward in a manner that's as inclusive and respectful of all interests as it is informed by robust science," Anderson stated. "Bringing about meaningful change often requires doing things differently."
Regarding the form this progress might take, she noted that ad hoc updates to existing regulations will not be enough, citing as an example the recent expansion of Scottish marine planning zones from three to twelve nautical miles to streamline offshore aquaculture licensing.
"Yes, the extension widens the geography within which companies are permitted to farm to include deeper-water sites. But without embracing the new technologies and innovations available, it leaves the system itself unchanged, which simply drags long-standing issues further out to sea," Anne Anderson claimed.
"What's needed is a fit-for-purpose, integrated approach to regulating high-intensity food production, with clear accountability and governance – possibly even in the form of a new, dedicated Aquaculture Bill. Why rule anything out at this stage? The issues facing the sector may be long-standing, but they are inherently resolvable if we remain open to the possibility of there being alternative ways of achieving shared goals," she continued.
"Who better to lead the charge than a new government with a five-year term ahead of it. It's genuinely exciting to think of the progress that could be made together in each of the priority areas – and more – by 2031," the regulatory expert and sustainability specialist concluded.
