A recent report by Animal Equality UK revealed that Scottish salmon farms experienced 35 million unexpected fish deaths over a three-year period, despite receiving only two unannounced inspections during this time. The lack of oversight was described as "embarrassingly poor," with ongoing issues in the industry such as repeated disease outbreaks, infestations, and scandals. The Animal and Plant Agency, responsible for enforcing welfare legislation and conducting inspections, failed to carry out any unannounced inspections in 2023 or 2025, and only completed two in 2024, leaving significant reporting loopholes unaddressed.

The industry was found to have excluded many fish deaths from its official count, including culled fish, those that died in transportation, and cleanerfish essential for the salmon's health. Over one million fish were culled in a single week at one hatchery, highlighting the scale of the problem. Animal Equality called for a complete overhaul of the regulatory system, emphasizing the need for more scrutiny and sanctions to protect animal welfare and address the industry's ongoing issues with transparency and compliance.