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).
One local authority (East Ayrshire) is now investigating the standards of the vehicles used to transport farmed salmon morts and compliance with the Animal By-Products Regulations 2013 (ABPR).
Footage from the BBC screened on 11 December 2017 showed a haulage truck operated by Billy Bowie flouting the law by leaking fluids from diseased salmon farmed by Scottish Sea Farms in Loch Kishorn (read more via Scottish Sea Farms mort events in 2017). There have been other reported cases of farmed salmon spilling onto roads across Scotland including the A9.
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".
"Police Scotland has no protocols with any local authority or operating company regarding the disposal of wastes from fish farms," said a FOI reply from Police Scotland dated 10 January 2018.
"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."
Download press release in full with Notes to Editors and FOI documents online here
Read more via:
Sunday Times: "Scots councils ‘failing to enforce EC laws on leaky salmon trucks’"
Daily Mail: "Thousands of fish thrown in a truck - and troubling new questions for salmon farms"
"First Minister questioned on leaking wastes from morts - call for a moratorium from Greens"
"BBC's 'Dead Salmon Run' Opens Can of Worms"
"Millions of Scottish Salmon Going Up in Smoke"
BBC's The One Show: "The Dead Salmon Run"
"125,000 salmon die in disease outbreak at Lewis fish farms"
"Campaigners say 'no more salmon farms' after disease on Lewis kills 125,000 fish"
"A disgrace: Ten million salmon thrown away by fish farm industry in last year alone"
"Death rate at salmon farms doubles to 20m fish a year"
"Welfare fears after claim deaths of farmed salmon have doubled"
"Thermal treatment for lice blamed for salmon deaths"
"Poached alive - fish die as farm overheats water"
"Oops: fish farm firm kills 175,000 of its salmon by accident"
"European Commission complaint over dead fish dumping forces rule change"
"Scottish watchdog labelled ‘lapdog’ after agreeing to keep fish farm deaths secret"
"Farmed salmon killed by disease leaps to 8.5 million"
"Where have all the dead fish gone?"
Here's the online form filled in by GAAIA to lodge the EC complaint:
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