Scottish Salmon Watch recently spent a week on the trail of 'Scottish Scamon' - here's some videos from our travels on the West coast of Scotland.
Prisoner Cell Block Salmon - exclusive report from inside Scottish Sea Farms in the Sound of Mull (includes footage of skeletons left in the nets) https://t.co/hW80vMwGqC@scotseafarms@LeroySeafood
Safety is of paramount importance and it is therefore important to be safe on the water and venture out only if the weather conditions are suitable (on the West coast of Scotland it is often too windy to kayak out and you may need boat support!).
Salmon farms operate in public waters and the public have a right to navigate in a kayak as well as swim and dive.
But beware - Scottish salmon is a disease-ridden nightmare!
Due diligence and in-depth research is required before taking the plunge on Scottish salmon!
Night-filming is sometimes necessary to shine a light on the dark side of Scottish salmon farming:
Early mornings are a must when it comes to catching the scoop on Scottish salmon.
But you can also catch a whiff of Scottish salmon in the city.
And follow your nose to find damning evidence dumped in skips.
As salmon farmers pollute with impunity, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is closed to the public.
And public beaches are closed to the public as salmon farmers continue to work without any regard for community access and resource use.
Watch this space for further filming over the Summer and Autumn at 'Scottish Scamon'.
Here's video footage of events in Loch Creran on 16 July 2020 captured by Scottish Salmon Watch (who today filed a formal complaint against Police Scotland for harassment and against Scottish Sea Farms for reckless behaviour and breach of safety):
Download Scottish Salmon Watch's complaint to Police Scotland in full online here
As a former cop, I would like to know what Act is 'criminal'? Watching the videos I see NO H&S issues, except the fish farm boat approaching the swimmer. What is this 'exclusion-zone' referred to? New one on me! Police failure to address two complaints or give advice interesting. https://t.co/Lxd8kLL3wo
I had thought @policescotland job was to uphold the law? Not make new laws on the hoof. The Chief Constable of @policescotland needs to investigate, why it appears to be acting as private security, when the sea is a public common. https://t.co/kQtFW3p1iF
Disgusting behavour from our police, they are perfectly happy to allow fish farm vehicles to drive around with toxic chemicals, diseased rotten fish and overloaded trailers and dump shit everywhere but threaten to prosecute for swimming !! https://t.co/eB2kAvbfyQ
A lot of nasty and toxic things are concealed under fish farms, not least that this industry is trying to steal our land. The seabed is held in trust for all and the public have the constitutional right to be on it for purposes including navigation and recreation./1 https://t.co/lm9p6V5Fqa
If Police Scotland is seriously interested in upholding the law then why are police officers not investigating the theft of a public beach and plastic pollution at Teithil Beach - just yards from where Scottish Salmon Watch was harassed?
Read a follow up letter to Police Scotland dated 6 August 2019 - online here
Scottish Sea Farms claimed in a letter dated 22 August 2019 that "a water-based protest poses a serious risk to our salmon stocks, potentially breaching biosecurity protocol and causing stress to the fish, both of which can have devastating consequences on animal welfare". Scottish Sea Farms invited Scottish Salmon Watch to "find less dangerous means of expressing your opinion" and referred to "several instances of people getting into unexpected difficulty, sometimes with fatal results".
I guess the truth about Scottish salmon hurts https://t.co/ZgrFAS7W1i If you did have time to show us around on 31 August we'd love to sample your "healthy" farmed salmon - what diseases, pathogens & viruses do you have currently? pic.twitter.com/lfviWoLjFW
If Police Scotland investigated Scottish Sea Farms instead of the public for daring to safely venture close to their salmon farms (which operate in public waters - and in the case of Loch Creran, a Special Area of Conservation supposedly protected by law) then they would uncover a disease-ridden welfare nightmare - as the BBC 'One Show' discovered when they filmed at Scottish Sea Farms in 2017.
When Scottish Salmon Watch visited the salmon farm operated by Scottish Sea Farms in Loch Spelve in August 2018 we were shocked at the levels of lice infestation - of both farmed salmon and cleaner fish. Watch video footage online here
"Drone footage clearly shows that Mowi endangered the health and safety of the general public during an inspection of a salmon farm in Loch Alsh 'Special Area of Conservation'," wrote Don Staniford, Director of Scottish Salmon Watch. "Mowi staff deliberately rammed a kayak, drove at high speed past a small dingy, unclipped a kayak tied safely to the farm, kicked a paddle into the water and scraped a work boot down my Achilles tendon. Mowi's behaviour on 2 November was both reckless and dangerous. Since Scottish Salmon Watch plans further unannounced site inspections and sampling near salmon farms it is a hoped that a protocol can be put in place urgently to properly police surveillance of this unhealthy and unsafe industry."
Here's photo stills grabbed from drone video footage taken ca. 8am on 2 November 2019 at Mowi's Ardintoul salmon farm in Loch Alsh (drone footage has been shared with the Health & Safety Executive and the Maritime & Coastguard Agency):
Here's the Mowi work boat recklessly speeding past a tiny dinghy safely navigating and filming in public waters:
Here's Mowi deliberately ramming into my safely tied kayak (luckily it was not badly battered and I was able to kayak back to shore):
When the Mowi work boat leaves the cage the engines cause unnecessary stress to the farmed salmon (unlike a kayak which operates quietly and without a motor):
Here's a Mowi worker scraping his work boot down my Achilles heel (not once but twice) as they surround and intimidate me (audio recordings of the interactions will hopefully be made available):
The same Mowi worker (he also called me a "cunt", "beady eyed" and mouthed "fuck you") is seen here untying my kayak which was safely clipped onto the cage and then throwing the safety rope into the water:
The Mowi worker is then filmed kicking my paddle into the water with the unclipped kayak now dangerous drifting away from the farm (at the same time another Mowi worker is ironically asking me to leave the site - even though my paddle and kayak are in danger of floating off into Loch Alsh):
When the Mowi worker fails to kick the paddle into the loch he moves to try for a second attempt (as a Mowi work boat emblazoned with the words "Safety First" docks alongside the cage). He appears to stop and looks up at the drone filming his every move:
The kayak floats along the cage as the Mowi worker seems to be beckoning the work boat to smash it against the farm:
Last month Scottish Salmon Watch revealed that the inventors of Imidacloprid use in salmon had admitted in their patent that "leakage" of the toxic chemical could occur.
So is this the price of our Lochs rivers and oceans and wildlife ??? 2 Quid !! 2 offers , the shops are full of tourists again and still the supermarkets cant get rid of there toxic disease ridden muck.. pic.twitter.com/IdVHmgKdBa
From: Nielsen, Jonas <Jonas.Nielsen@eftasurv.int> Date: Fri, Jul 3, 2020 at 3:25 PM Subject: Confirmatory Decision of the EFTA Surveillance Authority regarding documents in Case 83033 To: salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>
Dear Mr. Staniford,
A decision has now been taken on your confirmatory application of 5 May 2020.
Attached to this email you will find a pdf containing a scanned copy of:
Delegated College Decision 075/20/COL of 3 July 2020
Annex: the reasoned reply to your confirmatory application (Doc No 1136677)
Annex: list of documents (Doc No 1141423)
We are happy to provide you with the physical original of the decision and its annexes. If you would like the physical original sent to you, please provide us with a postal address.
From the decision, you will see that ESA has released four more documents from the case. You can find these documents in our public document database by clicking the following links:
Scottish Salmon Watch filed this FOI request with the Scottish Government (8 July 2020):
From: Don Staniford<salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com> Date: Wed, Jul 8, 2020 at 9:40 AM Subject: FOI re. ova imports & ISA since 16 December 2019 To: <ceu@scotland.gsi.gov.uk>
Ova import data since the last imports detailed in the information disclosed via FOI-19-02663 (i.e. data since 16 December 2019).
Information in relation to discussions re. ova imports since 16 December 2019, to include discussions with the Norwegian Government, egg companies, salmon farming companies and other parties. This would also include any emails, letters, Cabinet Briefings, press updates and other information on ova imports in relation to salmon farming. It would also include any correspondence with EFTA/ESA, Mattilsynet (Norwegian Food Safety Authority), European Commission, AquaGen, Benchmark (Stofnfiskur), Landcatch (Hendrix Genetics), Mowi, Scottish Sea Farms and any other parties in relation to ova imports since 16 December 2019.
Information on any disease risks and biosecurity concerns of ova imports. This would include any discussions, emails, letters and other information relating to Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) which would certainly include reference to Norwegian salmon farming.
A public register of ALL toxic chemicals used on salmon farms in Scotland could be in the pipeline according to a Freedom of Information (FOI) reply from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD).
"In April 2019, the VMD had a discussion with the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) on the set-up of a medicine data collection system," revealed the VMD in a FOI reply dated 18 June 2020. "The discussion included the monitoring of ‘beneficial non-medicinal compounds’ and particularly, formalin" (see Appendix at end of this blog for the FOI reply in full).
Data on the use of the toxic chemicals Azamethiphos, Deltamethrin and Emamectin benzoate by salmon farms (excluding use via well boats) is already published online via Scotland's Aquaculture web-site (using data submitted by salmon farms to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency):
Whilst data for the use of Azamethiphos, Deltamethrin and Emamectin benzoate on salmon farms is currently available up until the end of March 2020 (Q1 2020), SEPA has still not bothered to upload data on the use via well boats via their Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory for 2019.
Why is Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory data on use of Azamethiphos & Deltamethrin via well boats still not published for 2019 when data on use of toxic chemicals via salmon farms is now available up to March 2020 via Scotland's Aquaculture? @ScottishEPA@marinescotlandpic.twitter.com/8wrMq7yTkR
At least since March 2020, SEPA has published 2018 SPRI data for Azamethiphos, Deltamethrin and Emamectin benzoate (which apparently includes well boat data). Here's the SPRI data for Azamethiphos use by salmon farms in 2018 - headed by Grieg Seafood's Setterness salmon farm in Shetland.
You can search by pollutant - including data for Deltamethrin and Emamectin benzoate - online here
Also on 12 April we reported that salmon farmers were being allowed to use more toxic pesticides during the #coronavirus emergency - despite risks to marine wildlife.https://t.co/hzdwuDXTOB
More videos of toxic chemicals used on salmon farms are available via:
Anyone for Scottish salmon doused in carcinogenic chemicals? https://t.co/vJq8ozquQB Scottish salmon farming is so toxic you have to wear a gas mask - I'd rather eat one of @DamienHirst's pickled sharks
Emamectin contamination of Scottish farmed salmon has occurred at least eight times with other cases reported by the VMD in 2012 (Scottish Salmon Company), 2010 (Lakeland Marine), 2009 (Skelda Salmon), 2006 (Scottish Sea Farms) and 2005 (Marine Harvest, re-named Mowi in 2019 due to negative consumer perception).
Read more on toxic chemicals used by salmon farms online here
Appendix:
From: Andrew Saunders <a.saunders@vmd.gov.uk> Date: Thu, Jun 18, 2020 at 3:10 PM Subject: Official Sensitive: Reply to Freedom of Information Request ATI0658 To: Don Staniford <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>
Dear Don
Thank you for your email dated 20th May 2020.
Your Request
You asked for:
‘Further to Scottish Salmon Watch's letter dated 17 March 2020, please provide details on any proposed, in progress and completed field trials of Imidacloprid (Ectosan/BMK08) by the salmon farming industry in Scotland since 2017.
This would involve documentation pertaining to any field trials - however illegal, unsanctioned, aborted, unfinished and/or still in the pipeline - in 2019 (or even earlier) as well as any field trials in Loch Ailort by Mowi and other companies at other locations in Scotland during 2020.
Please provide information relating to the possible misreporting of chemical use in salmon farming since 2017.
Please provide information on discussions at a national/UK level with the VMD and other government agencies about Formalin and other chemicals used in freshwater and marine aquaculture since 2017.
Please include emails, letters, internal discussions, Cabinet Briefings, reports, environmental assessments and any other information relating to the above since 2017.’
Our Reply
As a general point, you should note that the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gives you an entitlement to information rather than documents and it is in this context that we have answered your request.
‘Further to Scottish Salmon Watch's letter dated 17 March 2020, please provide details on any proposed, in progress and completed field trials of Imidacloprid (Ectosan/BMK08) by the salmon farming industry in Scotland since 2017.
This would involve documentation pertaining to any field trials - however illegal, unsanctioned, aborted, unfinished an/or still in the pipeline - in 2019 (or even earlier) as well as any field trials in Loch Ailort by Mowi and other companies at other locations in Scotland during 2020.
The VMD is not aware of any current or completed field trials for imidacloprid (Ectosan/BMK08) by the salmon farming industry in Scotland, since 2017.
Please provide information relating to the possible misreporting of chemical use in salmon farming since 2017.
We do not hold any information on misreporting of veterinary medicines.
Please provide information on discussions at a national/UK level with the VMD and other government agencies about Formalin and other chemicals used in freshwater and marine aquaculture since 2017.
Please include emails, letters, internal discussions, Cabinet Briefings, reports, environmental assessments and any other information relating to the above since 2017.’
The following sets out the timeline of the relevant discussions concerning formalin.
April 2019
The VMD had a discussion with the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) on the set-up of a medicine data collection system. The discussion included the monitoring of ‘beneficial non-medicinal compounds’ and particularly, formalin.
June 2019
A previous FOI/EIR request was made by yourself on ‘Public Register of ALL toxic chemical use on Scottish salmon farms & Immediate Ban on Carcinogenic Formaldehyde (Formalin)’, dated, 26th June 2019. It is noted that a joint response was given to you with DEFRA as the lead (and in conjunction with SEPA).
November 2019
The VMD met with SEPA and SEPA have subsequently requested more information on the sale/import/production of formaldehyde/formalin for the treatment of fish in the UK.
January 2020
The VMD has met with SEPA and provided information on the use of formalin/formaldehyde with regard to prescribing and when it is defined as a veterinary medicinal product or a biocide.
Scottish Salmon Watch filed this FOI request on 8 July 2020:
From: Don Staniford <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com> Date: Wed, Jul 8, 2020 at 11:57 AM Subject: FOI re. Well Boats & Salmon Farms Since 1 October 2018 To: <ceu@scotland.gsi.gov.uk>
Please provide information on well boats and salmon farms since 1 October 2018.
- Please include data on chemical use including Azamethiphos, Deltamethrin, Hydrogen Peroxide, Emamectin benzoate, Imidacloprid (BMK08/Ectosan) and any other chemicals, medicines, antibiotics and anti-parasiticides which may be used via well boats.
- Please include any discussions relating to the input, sharing and publication of well boat data on chemical use by salmon farms via 'Scotland's Aquaculture' and SEPA's 'Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory' (this would include dialogue with salmon farmers, chemical companies and government agencies).
- Please include copies of any well boat licences issued since 1 October 2018.
- Please provide information on well boat bio-security, cleaning, mort disposal, diseases and chemical waste discharges in relation to salmon farming (including information relating to how and where the wastes, effluents and mortalities are discharged, transported and disposed of).
- Please include any information relating to the transfer of licensing/regulatory powers for well boats from the Scottish Government (Marine Scotland) to SEPA including Cabinet Briefings, emails, letters and any other information.
"The position for now is very clear. MS has been the licensing authority for wellboat discharges for the last 8 years, However, and as the Cabinet Secretary [Fergus Ewing] will be aware from the discussions at the Aquaculture Industry Leadership Group, Marine Scotland have been actively looking at moving forward on the recommendation from the 2016 'Independent review of Aquaculture Consents', which looked at the licensing role for wellboat discharge moving to SEPA. That recommendation has raised some challenges but it still under active consideration and we are hopeful (sic) close to a conclusion"
Scottish Salmon Watch is interested in why the transfer of licensing from Marine Scotland to SEPA is taking so long and why well boat data on chemical use by salmon farms is not posted publicly in a more speedy manner.
Scottish Salmon Watch has been scratching under the surface of the toxic salmon farming industry and desperately needs a shower. According to documents disclosed via Freedom of Information, one of the 'inventors' of Imidacloprid use in salmon farming is Benchmark's John Marshall who has been lobbying the Scottish Government's Fergus Ewing (Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy & Connectivity) since at least September 2018 with a meeting in Edinburgh in October 2018 to discuss "field trials in Scotland".
Just six foreign-owned companies - Mowi (Marine Harvest), Scottish Sea Farms, The Scottish Salmon Company, Grieg Seafood, Cooke Aquaculture and Loch Duart - control 99% of Scottish salmon farming production.
Imidacloprid - Banned because it's extremely toxic to aquatic life and hazardous to the aquatic environment. Who would think that allowing it to be used in Scottish salmon farms would be a good idea? @FergusEwingMSP@scotgov - that's who. https://t.co/oqDbIkdDsS
Benchmark's patent for use of the toxic neonicotinoid insecticide Imidacloprid in salmon farming concedes it is a "potentially hazardous agent in the field" & that "leakage" can occur with "loss of agent in the environment" https://t.co/QfeF31RAiM@WeAreBenchmark@FerdOwnerpic.twitter.com/IPjorjqtmO
Scottish Salmon Watch has passed on this quaint video to the Scottish Tourism Alliance for use in their 'Tourism Scotland 2020' next marketing campaign. I can see the slogans now - "Come to Scotland for free Scottish Salmon Road-Kill" or "Visit Scotland - a land where diseased Scottish salmon are so plentiful they leap onto the road".
Or maybe the Scottish skiing season at nearby Aviemore could be extended by using slimy Scottish salmon as artificial snow? Next time you're driving in the Highlands of Scotland please remember to bring your Scottish salmon tyres (and plenty of disinfectant as well as nose-plugs).
It's not clear yet what infectious diseases, pathogens, viruses and bacteria were infecting the dead farmed salmon or whether any fluids leached into any watercourses potentially infecting wild fish - the River Spey and Loch Laggan are in the vicinity of the salmon spill.
John Robins of Animal Concern wrote to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (15 September) and brought the matter to the attention of Scottish Ministers and Highland Council:
E-MAIL FROM: John F. Robins, Secretary and Campaigns Consultant, Animal Concern, Post Office Box 5178, Dumbarton G82 5YJ. Tel. 01389-841-639, Mobile: 07721-605521.
Animal Concern is a pressure group registered as a non-profit making Limited Company (Co. No. SC109126) established in 1988 as Animal Concern (Scotland) Ltd. It incorporates the Scottish Anti-Vivisection Society which was founded in 1876.
Roseanna Cunninghame MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform,
Mairi Gougeon MSP, Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment,
The Scottish Government,
Edinburgh
Dear Ms Cunninghame and Ms Gougeon,
You will find below a copy of my e-mail to SEPA regarding a potentially very serious pollution and animal health risk incident which took place near Dalwhinnie last Friday.
If the statement attributed to the driver of the lorry involved in the incident is accurate it could mean that large numbers of consignments of possibly highly toxic waste from salmon farms are being carried across Scotland in unsealed vehicles totally unsuitable for the safe transfer of such waste. Spillages such as that which occurred last Friday could result in diseases, which have killed vast numbers of fish on salmon farms, being released into the home river systems of our declining populations of wild Atlantic Salmon and seatrout.
I ask that you immediately ban the transfer of salmon morts by road, carry out a full assessment of the current situation regarding the often long distance transportation of salmon morts from farms to disposal facilities and introduce compulsory high minimum standards of biosecurity before allowing such waste onto our roads again.
Please note: I tried to deliver this message via your on-line contact form but that is limited to 2,000 characters. I’d appreciate it if you would acknowledge receipt of this e-mail.
E-MAIL FROM: John F. Robins, Secretary and Campaigns Consultant, Animal Concern, Post Office Box 5178, Dumbarton G82 5YJ. Tel. 01389-841-639, Mobile: 07721-605521.
Animal Concern is a pressure group registered as a non-profit making Limited Company (Co. No. SC109126) established in 1988 as Animal Concern (Scotland) Ltd. It incorporates the Scottish Anti-Vivisection Society which was founded in 1876.
Scottish Environment Protection Agency
Strathallan House
Castle Business Park
Stirling
FK9 4TZ
Dear Sir or Madam,
I write concerning an incident on Friday 13th September involving a Gogar Services vehicle (registration number DS15 CKF) carrying a load of salmon farm morts.
This vehicle shed its load on the road near Dalwhinnie. I’m not sure if this was on the A9 or the A889. It was reported on the Facebook page of a Mr. William Haughton who posted a video which you should be able to view on this link: https://www.facebook.com/1winks1/videos/2501635109894586
This link also takes you to the video and to comments added since the video was posted:
The comments posted include a claim that the incident occurred near the River Truim (a tributary of the Spey) and a driver saying there was still fish debris on the road on Saturday 14th September. The video shows vehicles driving through the morts and other comments are from drivers claiming their cars and motorbikes had fish debris sticking to them after driving through the morts.
One comment claims the lorry driver said he had required to brake suddenly and the dead salmon were thrown forward out of the rear of the lorry and over his cab. From the number of salmon covering both lanes of the road and the verges I would estimate that 1 tonne or more of fish were ejected from the lorry.
As you are no doubt aware morts from salmon farms are often classified as toxic waste as the fish may have been killed by a number of diseases including some which are highly infectious. They may also have been treated with toxic chemicals or dangerous pharmaceuticals before they died.
If you have not already done so I ask you to investigate this incident to determine whether the load did include diseased or otherwise contaminated fish and, if so, did the loss of those fish into the environment pose any risk to the public, especially those people who came into contact with the morts?
I am also concerned that wild fish stocks could have been put at risk if contaminated residues from the incident scene were washed into the River Truim or if debris carried away by vehicles which drove through the morts, entered any other waterways.
I also request that you determine whether or not this load was being carried legally and, if it was not, I ask you to prosecute those responsible.
I do not know what farm or farms these morts came from but I’m sure Gogar Services (contact details below) will be able to provide you with that information.
I look forward to hearing from you regarding this incident.
If you're unlucky enough ever to get close to disease-ridden Scottish salmon it is advisable to have a jolly good scrub down - the stench of Scottish salmon is enough to make you vomit all over the road.
Here's video footage inside skips full of diseased Scottish salmon:
Yesterday's spill involving Stirlingshire-based Gogar is not the first time trucks carrying diseased Scottish salmon have made the news. The Daily Mail featured a Gogar truck laden with diseased Scottish salmon in an article published in January 2018:
Download press release in full with Notes to Editors and FOI documents online here
Following a BBC exposé on 'The One Show' broadcast last month, campaigners are calling on local authorities and the Scottish Government to properly police the transport of mortalities from Scotland's disease-ridden salmon farms.
The Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture (GAAIA) has filed a complaint to the European Commission regarding a breach of the Animal By-Products Regulations by the United Kingdom. GAAIA has also written to the Scottish Government requesting an urgent investigation into disease-ridden mortalities from Scottish salmon farms (Download Letter to Fergus Ewing 28 Jan 2018).
Documents obtained via Freedom of Information (FOI) reveal that local authorities are failing to enforce the regulations with some citing a lack of resources and others completely ignorant [1]:
"We don’t have the resources to carry out any monitoring or surveillance of these activities, we didn’t carry out any investigations into these activities in 2017," replied Argyll & Bute Council on 11 January 2018.
"Stirling Council would not be involved in this. This would be for Aquaculture Industry to respond to," replied Stirling Council on 26 January 2018 (GAAIA has since asked for a review pointing out that "salmon farms are clearly not located within Stirlingshire - however, the transport of dead farmed salmon does occur within your local authority").
"As you may be aware, East Ayrshire’s Trading Standards team are taking forward the investigation of vehicles leaking ABP with the transporter Billy Bowie. As they are leading on this matter, my team will not be taking forward any specific action on this particular case," replied Highland Council on 24 January 2018.
"I am providing notice that under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 that the Council does not hold the information requested and so, is unable to comply with your request. I can advise that there are no salmon farms in Renfrewshire," replied Renfrewshire Council on 23 January 2018 (GAAIA replied: "It is patently obvious that there are no salmon farms in Renfrewshire! The FOI request relates to transport of dead fish from salmon farms to disposal sites across Scotland and in Northern England. Renfrewshire is cited in this case in October 2015 on the A737 (as reported by The Courier)."
"Shetland Islands Council has not had to issue any warning letters, complete any investigations, surveillance or monitoring in regard to the transport and disposal of salmon farm mortalities," replied Shetland Isles Council on 20 December 2017.
Other local authorities have either not replied or did not possess any information even though local authorities are charged by law with enforcing the legislation.
"APHA do not inspect or monitor the transport of salmon farm mortalities," said a FOI reply from the Animal & Plant Health Agency dated 9 January 2018. "The enforcement of the regulations is the responsibility of Local Authorities under the Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013 and of the Scottish Government under The Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (Scotland) Regulations 2013".
"Not only are haulage companies flouting the regulations but local authorities are failing to enforce the law," said Don Staniford, Director of the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture (GAAIA) and author of 'Scottish Salmon Farming 101'. "Scottish salmon farming has a huge mort mountain with over one in four farmed salmon dying and an estimated 20 million morts piling up across Scotland. It beggars belief that haulage trucks making 'The Dead Salmon Run' are not being properly policed. Scottish salmon farming stinks and leaves a bad taste in the mouth."
Let it go, let it go. Turn away and slam the door on Scottish salmon. That's the resounding message to shoppers who may be lured by offers of "responsibly sourced", "organic" or "RSPCA Assured" Scottish salmon (all farmed in factory feedlots littering the coast of Scotland). Let us hear you take the salmon pledge today - give Scottish salmon the cold shoulder!
Fish Farming Expert reported (21 June 2020) that salmon farmers who cannot sell their unwanted fish can "apply to a new £1.25 million fund to cover the costs of maintaining unsold stock". The Scottish Government scheme, funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), compensates businesses for the cost of transporting, freezing and storing salmon, trout and shellfish until the end of 2020. Storage is relatively cheap, at between £5-£10 per tonne for 10 weeks, but the initial blast freezing can cost up to £300 per tonne. "It is understood that cold storage capacity is available at facilities in the north east that primarily store whitefish, and at distribution depots at Larkhall and Bellshill in the Central Belt," reported Fish Farming Expert.
More details on the Scottish Government's 'Storage Aid' for salmon (announced on 18 June 2020) is available online here
And here's photographic evidence - obtained via Freedom of Information, secret filming inside salmon farms and published online by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate - of the welfare nightmare and disease-ridden nature of salmon farming.
Benchmark's patent for use of the toxic neonicotinoid insecticide Imidacloprid in salmon farming concedes it is a "potentially hazardous agent in the field" & that "leakage" can occur with "loss of agent in the environment" https://t.co/QfeF31RAiM@WeAreBenchmark@FerdOwnerpic.twitter.com/IPjorjqtmO
One of the 'inventors' of Imidacloprid use in salmon farming is Benchmark's John Marshall who, according to documents disclosed in December 2019 via FOI, has been lobbying the Scottish Government since at least September 2018 with a meeting in Edinburgh in October 2018 and a meeting in the Scottish Parliament with Fergus Ewing, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy & Connectivity, in September 2019.
It seems Benchmark insiders may already know that BMK08/Ectosan (Imidacloprid) will be approved. If so, Benchmark claimed in January 2020 "that the BMK08/CleanTreat solution could reach peak annual sales of £50 million in Norway alone and £75 million globally". Fish Farming Expert reported in December 2017: "Benchmark believes that Ectosan can eventually achieve worldwide sales of £40-50 million annually". Salmon Business reported (8 June 2020):
Scottish Salmon Watch emailed SEPA (26 June 2020) asking whether this licence permitted the discharge of Imidicaloprid:
From: Don Staniford<salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com> Date: Fri, Jun 26, 2020 at 3:08 PM Subject: Mowi licence to use Imidacloprid granted on 18 June 2020 in Loch Ailort? To: Pollard, Peter <peter.pollard@sepa.org.uk>
In your email of 8th June requesting access to information held by SEPA, you asked three wider questions. Our answers to these are provided below. You will receive the information we hold relating to the elements of your request that fall under FOI/EIR in separate correspondence.
SEPA is not planning to commission and publish a scientific dossier on the environmental impacts of imidacloprid.
The 2016 review of emamectin benzoate was prompted by indications from a study by the Scottish Association for Marine Science that the use of the medicine may be affecting crustaceans The purposes of the review were to:
(a) determine if the environmental standards that had been established in 1999 remained scientifically valid; and
(b) potentially derive new standards according to the latest regulatory guidance.
In the case of imidacloprid, there are currently no established coastal water environmental standards to review. There are also no authorised discharges into coastal waters.
Before we would consider authorising any discharges of imidacloprid, we would require the applicant to provide the necessary data to identify a suitable environmental standard in the form of a predicted no effect concentration. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the scientific information for this purpose.
Any application made that would result in a breach of an environmental standard would be refused.
As also noted above, SEPA has not issued any authorisations to any finfish farm-related operation to discharge imidacloprid nor is SEPA in receipt of any application to discharge imidacloprid.
If an application is made to discharge imidacloprid and an authorisation to do so granted, SEPA will carry out appropriately rigorous checks to ensure that the conditions of the authorisation are being met.
The form of the checks will depend on the particular conditions of authorisation, which will in turn depend on the details of the proposed discharge. The checks may include, for example, sampling of the discharge and environmental monitoring.
Scottish Salmon Watch's letter to SEPA's Chief Executive Terry A'Hearn dated 17 March 2020 (which has still not received a reply over three months later) is available online here
“Keeping people safe remains the priority! Is that why you have not spoken a word against a non essential fish farm which built in Skye during the Covid crisis and using sub contractors traveling 100’s of miles? Perhaps it is because there are Councillors on the company board? https://t.co/b8N7OAD9nL
@scottishepa are doing NOTHING about this illegal action, nothing at all. SEPA is #notfitforpurpose. #OrganicSeaHarvest have just stuck two fingers up to us all, again. And No #socialdistancing on their contractors boats. Don't care, won't care, just in it for the £. Pure greed?
Well #HighlandCouncil councillors Alex MacInnes & Alistair MacKinnon are at it again.They are not satisfied by ignoring community views, nor degrading a National Scenic Area but have, allegedly, illegally deployed #salmon smolts before the licencing process has completed @WHFP1
The legality and legitimacy of the term “Organic” as used by a Salmon Farming Company as a prefix to its name, is being challenged by Isle of Skye residents. Using terms of inferred compliance is misleading and undermines accreditation services.
Councillors Alex MacInnes @iasgairmuir and Alister Mackinnon are both elected members of Highland Council and are pushing through their own salmon farm under the misleading and false "Organic" name.
Reports of a possible mortality event at Organic Sea Harvest’s Invertote site. Multiple vessels - fish carries sucking up smolts yesterday. A slick of pollution reported on the coastline opposite the ships mooring. How are these cowboys getting away with itNo CAR license either!!
Scottish Salmon Watch have asked for a review of the Scottish Government's refusal to disclose information on the West Coast Salmon Smolt Tracking project and other interactions between wild salmon and salmon farming.
A scientific review of the impacts of salmon farming on wild fish is available online here
The Atlantic Salmon Trust's toxic relationship with the 'Scottish' salmon farming industry (99% of which is controlled/owned by foreign money) will only cloud the issue. If we know anything from the history of salmon farming in Scotland, we know that the salmon farming lobby have a long history of trust and secrecy issues.
However, the European Free Trade Association - which banned exports of Norwegian salmon eggs in May 2019 following a damning disease inspection - have refused to disclose documents to Scottish Salmon Watch requested under Freedom of Information. EFTA "began a consultation with the Norwegian Ministries as regards the documents" explained EFTA in an email to Scottish Salmon Watch on 5 June 2020 (enclosed in full below along with other emails). "In accordance with Article 7(4) RAD, the time-limit for delivery of the College Decision is to be suspended for the documents concerned, for as long as the consultation is pending," continued EFTA. "The team will request Norway to complete its assessment within a reasonable time (while allowing for the fact that we have asked them to assess a large number of documents)."
Record numbers of foreign salmon eggs are being imported by Scottish fish farms - @TheGAAIA in today’s Scottish Mail on Sunday: pic.twitter.com/wdACZSgpgh
Earlier in April 2020, the Scottish Government admitted to Scottish Salmon Watch via Freedom of Information that: "No testing of salmon eggs, imported into Scotland, has been undertaken by Marine Scotland Science in relation to the pathogens and diseases you specify" and "No screening of ova for PRV has been undertaken by Marine Scotland Science".
My colleague in the ESA Public Access to Documents team, Jonas Nielsen, forwarded me your email requesting all documents in Case 83033, which I understand concerns a food safety mission to Norway.
As head of the Public Access team, I would like to explain a little further as to why you received a preliminary list – and why that list looked like it did.
Please bear with me, as I’m afraid this is going to be a rather long email! But I’d like to take the time to explain things properly. If anything is not clear, please do just drop me a line – my details are in the signature at the bottom and I’d be more than happy to discuss this with you.
Normally when we receive an access request, the requester is looking for a specific document or type of document. When a request comes in asking for all documents in the case, we make the preliminary list in order to help the requester understand what types of documents we have in the file (eg information from states, internal memos, reports). Usually (but of course not always) a requester follows up with more questions which help us to identify specific documents they would like to see.
We also have to balance up the needs of the public (as disclosure is intended to give transparency) with being able to do our job properly (as disclosure could mean that a state or the Commission then refuses to share documents with us as we are not protecting it as they would). This is why we have the exemptions in our Rules on Public Access to Documents (“the RAD”), and why we apply a balancing test which starts with identifying whether disclosure could cause a particular harm (such as undermining the protection of the purpose of inspections).
Unfortunately, where making the document public could cause harm, it often follows that telling a requester exactly what is in the document could also cause harm – and so this is also prohibited by the exempting provision. Hence we have redacted the titles in many instances – although we have tried to keep enough information in the document for you to know what type of document it is, who ESA got it from or sent it to, and in what context, and when it was sent, received or created. I do understand that this must be rather annoying, but we have really tried to put in as much information as the rules allow, to better help you with your request.
Three of the documents from Case 83033 (Docs No 1085525, 1085800 and 1085801) have been published. However, the rest of the documents in the file are covered by one or more exemptions.
I’ll try to further explain the reasons behind the refusals for the following documents.
Last month (5 May 2020), Scottish Salmon Watch asked EFTA to review their FOI refusal:
Please consider this a formal request for a review of Case 83033 replied to by EFTA on 24 April 2020.
EFTA explained on 29 April that "the Authority’s Rules on Access to Documents mean that we cannot make the documents available, even in a redacted form".
EFTA's FOI refusal on 24 April 2020 attached a 9 page PDF listing documents which were deemed except from public access for various reasons:
EFTA's FOI refusal of 24 April 2020 also asked:
Could you please indicate to which, if any, of the documents listed you would specifically like to make a request of access?
And explained:
"Please note that for those documents originating from any third parties, such as the Norwegian government, we will have to consult with the third party on whether or not public access can be granted."
Scottish Salmon Watch would like access to any documents which access is granted.
Could EFTA please therefore consult with third parties including the Norwegian Government with a view to access?
Could EFTA please review the blanket refusal which appears to have been put in place and identify those documents which are publicly available (even if heavily redacted)?
Please provide a receipt for this FOI review request.
Finally (and please consider this a new FOI request or deal with informally), are exports of Norwegian salmon ova/eggs and other salmon material still banned for import to Scotland (as was put in place in May 2019)?
Yours sincerely,
Don Staniford
Director, Scottish Salmon Watch
EFTA's holding reply (5 May 2020) included:
"My colleagues in the food safety unit have indicated that it is now possible to export consignments of ova/eggs from three certified areas in Norway for trade to other EEA states that are certified as ISA free (including Scotland). This information is in the public domain already: please see here for full details of the areas."
Earlier this month (5 June 2020) EFTA explained there would be a delay in responding to the request for documents whilst it consulted with "the Norwegian Ministries":
From: Howdle, Catherine <Catherine.Howdle@eftasurv.int> Date: Fri, Jun 5, 2020 at 1:57 PM Subject: RE: Review re. Case 83033 - Ban on Norwegian salmon egg exports due to disease risks To: Don Staniford <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>, Registry <Registry.User@eftasurv.int> Cc: Zatschler, Carsten <Carsten.Zatschler@eftasurv.int>, Nielsen, Jonas <Jonas.Nielsen@eftasurv.int>
Dear Mr Staniford
I am writing to let you know that as part of the ongoing work on the College Decision concerning your public access request, the Access to Documents team today began a consultation with the Norwegian Ministries as regards the documents which the latter submitted to ESA in the course of the inspection in Case 83033.
In accordance with Article 7(4) RAD, the time-limit for delivery of the College Decision is to be suspended for the documents concerned, for as long as the consultation is pending. The team will request Norway to complete its assessment within a reasonable time (while allowing for the fact that we have asked them to assess a large number of documents).
I will be in touch again once the team has had an answer from the Norwegian Ministries, to inform you of any changes in the timelines for the College Decision.
All best,
Cath Howdle
Catherine Howdle Deputy Director, Legal and Executive Affairs
"We cannot conclude that salmon is the source of infection just because novel coronavirus was detected on a chopping board of a seller" https://t.co/h3te6Yycar "If contaminated fish were shipped to China, Chinese workers could have been infected as they processed the fish" #COVID
China has halted imports from European salmon suppliers amid fears they might be linked to a coronavirus outbreak at a Beijing market @financialposthttps://t.co/McXCjn4SkY "We can’t send any salmon to China now, the market is closed" #COVID19#China#Salmon
