The Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture has scored a notable victory with two decisions published today by the Scottish Information Commissioner (SIC). In both cases, the SIC has ordered Scottish Ministers to disclose damning seal-killing data in relation to salmon farms by 21 August 2015 (the SIC is required, by law, to give the Ministers at least six weeks to disclose the information).
Read the decisions (102/2015: Number of Seals Shot) in full online here and (103/2015: Seal Killing Return Forms) online here
"This is a landmark victory," said Don Staniford, Director of the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture. "Today's decisions are a shot in the arm for freedom of information and a shot across the bows of the bloody Scottish salmon farming industry. Now the public will be able to boycott salmon from lethal salmon farms. It is shameful that the Scottish salmon farming industry continues to kill seals and shocking that supermarkets still source seal-unfriendly farmed salmon. Sadly, the majority of consumers are unaware that both the RSPCA's 'Freedom Food' and the WWF/Aquaculture Stewardship Council's salmon certification scheme shamefully permit the killing of seals. The sure-fire message to consumers is simple: Scottish salmon is farmed and dangerous."
"We welcome the decision to release this information as it is vitally important for the public to know which salmon suppliers are killing seals in order to make ethical consumer choices when shopping," said John Robins, Secretary to the Save Our Seals Fund. "When you buy Scottish salmon you pay for bullets to shoot seals."
"GAAIA will be writing once again to the U.S. Government reiterating the call to ban imports of all farmed salmon sourced from seal-killing salmon farms," continued Staniford. "Under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act it appears illegal for consumers in the United States to buy salmon from farms where seals have been shot. Given that the U.S. is the biggest export market for Scottish farmed salmon it is not surprising that the Scottish salmon farming industry has been busy lobbying the Scottish Government against disclosure."
Here's a summary of both decisions issued earlier today by Rosemary Agnew, Scottish Information Commissioner:
102/2015: Number of Seals Shot:
103/2015: Seal Killing Return Forms:
The SIC's decision 102/2015: Number of Seals Shot includes:
The SIC's decision 103/2015: Seal Killing Return Forms includes:
Both decisions end with the following:
Read more via:
"Landmark Rulings on Seal-Killing Salmon Farms" (7 July 2015)
"D Day for Seal-Killing Salmon Farms" (6 July 2015)
"Scottish Salmon's Secret Seal Killers!- FOI refusal prompts call for boycott of farmed salmon" (24 August 2014)
"Lethal Scottish Farmed Salmon: Serial Seal Killers Named & Shamed!" (8 May 2013)
"Victory for freedom of information: seal killers in Scotland named and shamed by 7 May" (5 May 2013)
"Scottish Salmon's Seal Killers Named & Shamed!" (2 December 2012)
Key news articles:
"End Secrecy Over Seal Deaths" (The Sunday Times, 24 August 2014)
"Seal campaigners call for salmon farm cull" (The Sunday Times, 12 May 2013)
"Scottish government ordered to name seal-shooting salmon farms" (The Sunday Herald, 28 April 2013)
"U-turn on naming fish farms that shoot seals" (The Sunday Herald, 13 January 2013)
"Government ordered to reveal secret seal shooters" (The Sunday Herald, 2 December 2012)
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