Chris Packham calls for halt to ‘catastrophic’ expansion of Scottish salmon farms

Broadcaster and RSPCA president says moratorium needed as mortality rates jump, while activists question charity's role in certifying farms

Naturalist and broadcaster Chris Packham has called for a halt to the expansion of the Scottish salmon farming industry, as official figures suggest salmon mortality in the country's farms hit record levels this year.

Packham, the president of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), described the growing industry as catastrophic" for fish welfare and Scotland's environment.