Jenni Diffin of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), which works for Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), told the Fish Veterinary Society conference in Edinburgh on Tuesday that her organisation has had to beef up its fish welfare team in Scotland.

This was in response to an increase in complaints against salmon farms, which come from ‘certain groups that most people will be aware of’, as well as from members of the public and the SSPCA (Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

However, the complaints can be taken out of context, and an issue with a single fish can be interpreted as a problem with an entire farm.