Marine pen fish farming: Charging changes

Closes 18 Feb 2025

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Annex 1.4: Sentinel pen monitoring

Requirement 

The sentinel pen monitoring programme needs to provide data suitable for validating and testing the skill of the spatial sea lice risk models.

Scope 

Organising and planning surveys  

Sector to produce suitable monitoring plan, including pilot studies where necessary to confirm suitability of method for validating and testing Scottish lice risk models (Sector). 

SEPA (via governance group) to assess and agree methodology.   

Delivering monitoring 

Annual sentinel pen surveys to be carried out across a sufficient range of sites to provide model validation. Scope of programme to be designed by Sector and agreed with SEPA via governance group. (Sector led, SEPA input required at planning stage) 

Initial management and entry of data, and subsequent delivery to SEPA to be delivered by sector. 

Auditing of a selection of sites required, to be delivered by SEPA. 

  • Details and extent to be agreed but expected to be covered in part by existing fish ecology and EPO resource.  

  • Appropriate expertise available in SEPA fish ecology team, plus additional training to be delivered by IMR through existing SEPA-funded SLIPD project. 

Managing and analysing data  

Create suitable storage for data and ensure data flows from monitoring programme (SEPA). 

Comparison, testing and validation into SEPA risk models to be carried out by SEPA staff, in collaboration with input from modelling and monitoring governance groups.  

Reporting 

Annual reporting assumed to be required (Led by SEPA, with industry support). 

Creation and maintenance of a web-based reporting service, including spatial visualisation of data via Scotland Aquaculture website (SEPA). 

Review and innovate 

Identify, progress and incorporate additional and alternative methods for assessing lice levels in the environment (SEPA, industry, SG).  

Work in partnership with other bodies and academic institutions to assess new ways of validating and incorporating data into Scottish risk models (SEPA, industry, SG).