The Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) on Wednesday voluntarily published the data for wild wrasse harvests in 2018, as the organization reinstates it commitment to sustainability and control measures for the live capture of Scottish wild wrasse for salmon farms.

Data was collated through figures from Scottish fishing boats involved in providing wrasse to the sector.

Wrasse are an essential part of the sector’s approach towards driving down lice levels and medicine use down significantly over the past years, SSPO Chief Executive Julie Hesketh-Laird said.

The data publication is not required by regulators, Hesketh-Laird added, noting that it shows the sector's commitment to sustainability.

According to the report, the use of wrasse has resulted in sea lice on Scottish salmon farms reaching its lowest levels since 2013, as well as a decrease in medicinal spending of 47 percent over the past three years.

According to the figures released by the SSPO, of the 30,564 wrasse caught in Scottish waters in 2018, 53 percent were safely returned to coastal waters due to inadequate sizes.