Decades of Science Escape Mowi's 'Merchant of Doubt'

Mowi's Director of Communications @BBCTheOneShow: "We've entered into a 2-year comprehensive study to make sure that we understand if there are any long term impacts....we're talking about a potential risk but we just don't know. What we need is science" https://t.co/YxeLot9XGc pic.twitter.com/5L4cDUsf1X
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 12, 2020

Watching Mowi's Director of Communications Ian Roberts on the BBC One Show earlier this evening (12 October 2020) reminded me of Saddam Hussein's Information Minister 'Comedy Ali'.

When questioned by the BBC's reporter Joe Crowley, Mowi's Director of Communications says with a straight-face (although his nose may have lengthened like Pinocchio): "We've entered into a two-year comprehensive study to make sure that we understand if there are any long term impacts. Specific to Scotland we're talking about a potential risk but we just don't know. What we need is science not just opinion."

The showreel of Mowi's long-serving spin doctor perfectly illustrates the mantra of "delay, deny and distract" and the scientific obfuscation exposed in the book 'Merchants of D0ubt':

Meet Mowi's 'merchant of doubt' Ian Roberts (Director of Communications @MowiScotlandLtd) https://t.co/YxeLot9XGc "We're talking about a potential risk but we just don't know" @fms_scotland @marinescotland @FergusEwingMSP @strathearnrose @SalmonTroutCons @AST_Salmon @SSPOsays pic.twitter.com/B9ibLUeD65
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 13, 2020

The BBC's investigative show Panorama featured Ian Roberts in May 2019:

Mowi's Director of Communications appears to have memory loss concerning decades of scientific evidence detailing the impacts of escapes from salmon farms. "We just don't know" claims Mowi's Ian Roberts.

But we do know. And we have known for decades. "What we need is science," protests Mowi's spin doctor. But decades of science has already been published.

Mowi has memory loss concerning escapes from salmon farms. "We just don't know" claims Ian Roberts. But we do know! "What we need is science," protests Mowi's spin doctor. Yet decades of science has already been published! https://t.co/YxeLot9XGc @MowiScotlandLtd @fms_scotland pic.twitter.com/LUNyLSBnhi
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 12, 2020

Aquaculture reported in 1991:

Aquaculture Research reported in 1993:

New Scientist reported in 2002:

The Royal Society of London reported back in 2003:

Fisheries Management & Ecology reported in 2005:

The Daily Telegraph reported in 2006:

The Times reported in 2007:

The Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue's 'Technical Working Group on Escapes' - of which Mowi, when named Marine Harvest, was aware of and participated in - reported in 2008:

The report cites scientific research published by the Scottish Government since the early 1990s:

The Royal Society of London reported in 2009:

PLOS One reported in 2012:

Today's announcement by Mowi and Fisheries Management Scotland of yet another study "to gauge the impact of any interbreeding between wild and escaped farm-raised salmon" makes a mockery of over two decades of scientific research proving significant impacts. The Fish Site reported (12 October 2020):

Fisheries Management Scotland is blowing smoke when it welcomes Mowi's funding of "a comprehensive genetics study that will help us better understand the potential impacts" - it published a genetics report back in 2013 when Fisheries Management Scotland was called Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland!

The Sunday Times reported in March 2013:

The Scotsman reported in March 2013:

Wester Ross Fisheries Trust reported in March 2013:

The Sunday Times reported in March 2014:

The Times reported in September 2017:

How many more escapes have to happen and how many more scientific studies need to be published before action is taken?

"We have welcomed Mowi's commitment to work with us & to fund a comprehensive genetics study that will help us better understand the potential impacts," says @fms_scotland https://t.co/H2CvmxdUV7
Hasn't the science already been done to death? @MowiScotlandLtd @marinescotland
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 12, 2020

Newsflash: Salmon farmers announce expensive new project to reinvent the wheel (and buy @MowiScotlandLtd two years) @fms_scotland @marinescotland https://t.co/AkEmyEcoic via @fishfarmermag
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 13, 2020

Mowi respond to escape with massive bribe err I mean study to buy off err I mean silence @fms_scotland @marinescotland https://t.co/UGaZF1ZWP1 @MowiScotlandLtd pic.twitter.com/qli3KDBivk
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 13, 2020

The Argyll Advertiser reported (13 October 2020):