Last month Scottish Salmon Watch revealed that imports of salmon eggs (ova) into Scottish salmon farms may have restarted following a ban in May 2019 due to Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA). Now the European Free Trade Association has finally disclosed some documents via Freedom of Information but refused many more citing commercial confidentiality.
FOI documents disclosed @EFTAsecretariat reveal damning failures, delays & insufficient control of Infectious Salmon Anaemia in salmon farms @InfoMattilsynet @fiskeridir @IntraFishNorge @fiskeribladet @Fiskeoppdrett @undercur @Salmon_Business @GAA_Advocate @FergusEwingMSP #Norway pic.twitter.com/Zfy53HnnXX
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 5, 2020
"Commercially sensitive information relating to a business operating in the fish farming industry in Norway" withheld @EFTAsecretariat "Protection of commercial interests" trumps the environment! @InfoMattilsynet @fiskeridir https://t.co/wUFl3P5O1j @Fiskeoppdrett @IntraFishNorge pic.twitter.com/B2KsoWoEXT
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 8, 2020
From: Nielsen, Jonas <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, Jul 3, 2020 at 3:25 PM
Subject: Confirmatory Decision of the EFTA Surveillance Authority regarding documents in Case 83033
To: s[email protected] <[email protected]>
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:
Kind regards,
Jonas Nielsen
Assistant
Legal and Executive Affairs
+32 2 286 18 31
[email protected]
www.eftasurv.int
A 24 'Delegated Decision' by EFTA dated 3 July 2020 included:
Download in full online here
Here's Doc No 1085461:
Doc No 1088471 includes:
Here's Doc No 1084306:
Here's Doc No 1077567:
Meanwhile, ISA continues to ravage salmon farms in Norway.
ISA cases surge past 2019 levels in Norway's salmon farms - Seven months in, cases have already almost doubled numbers for the whole of last year https://t.co/ZnfW1u7DXY @IntraFishNorge @InfoMattilsynet @EFTAsecretariat @FergusEwingMSP @marinescotland @fiskeridir @Seafood_Norway
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 27, 2020
Millions of fish at risk as ISA 'suspected' at Norway Royal Salmon farms https://t.co/XA1vrjOqNv @IntraFishNorge @EFTAsecretariat @InfoMattilsynet @fiskeridir @FergusEwingMSP @norwayseafood
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 6, 2020
Read more via:
- FOI letter to Norwegian Food Safety Authority re. Infectious Salmon Anaemia
- Undercurrent News: "Iceland replaces Norway as main source of Scottish salmon eggs following import ban"
- Letter to Scottish Ministers: "Bio-security Protocols & Safety Precautions re. Ova Imports"
- The Ferret: "Imports of Norwegian salmon eggs banned over deadly virus"
- Norwegian Salmon Egg Exports Banned Due to Disease Risks
Scottish Salmon Watch filed this FOI request with the Scottish Government (8 July 2020):
Date: Wed, Jul 8, 2020 at 9:40 AM
Subject: FOI re. ova imports & ISA since 16 December 2019
To: <[email protected]>
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.
Date: Fri, Aug 7, 2020 at 10:08 PM
Subject: Your recent correspondence with Scottish Government and partner agencies - 202000058422
To: <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, Aug 18, 2020 at 1:45 PM
Subject: Review re FOI 202000058422
To: <[email protected]>
Cc: <[email protected]>