Data Geek Warning: Salmon farms in #Scotland have breached biomass limits 889 times since 2002 with Mowi exceeding 278 times (that's 37,654 tonnes of @rspcaassured farmed salmon) https://t.co/rUYrPW0WDu
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 14, 2020
How much have @ScottishEPA fined offenders? @SSPOsays @MowiScotlandLtd pic.twitter.com/ofbK8WMq7A
News that Mowi could be fined in Chile for breaching biomass limits raises the issue once again in Scotland.
It’s an honest mistake? The figures don’t add up? Perhaps they were extra greedy this year? (The fish of course 😏🤷♂️) @MowiScotlandLtd @TheGAAIA https://t.co/7AzbsZZIJ5
— Jonathan Johnson (@Jonnynogaps) December 14, 2020
Authorities charge Mowi for alleged overproduction https://t.co/nLz6ft0lQX
— SalmonBusiness (@Salmon_Business) December 14, 2020
In May 2019, BBC Panorama raised the issue of salmon farming companies in Scotland breaching biomass limits - as well as the misreporting of toxic chemicals.
The Ferret reported in May 2019:
Data published by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency via 'Scotland's Aquaculture' web-site on 4 December 2020 details a staggering 889 breaches of biomass limits since 2002 (data up to the end of September 2020) with Mowi (known as Marine Harvest until January 2019) leading the way with 278 breaches of pollution controls representing 37,654 tonnes of farmed salmon production. Here's the top biomass breaches:
Here's the top 20 biomass breaches during 2020 (data up to the end of September 2020):
Breaches of biomass during 2020 are already 45 (data up to end of September) - the highest number since 2009 when there were 66 biomass breaches. The weight of farmed salmon involved in biomass breaches was a staggering 7,647 tonnes in 2019 (the highest since 2007) and already 6,054 tonnes during 2020 (data up to the end of September). Here's the top 20 biomass breaches in 2019 - again led by Mowi:
Download data in full online here (use the CSV Export function)
Here's photos and video from a whistleblower featuring mass mortalities at Mowi's Isle of Muck salmon farm in 2019:
Chilean salmon farmer fined £150k for hiding fish deaths https://t.co/hORWG7rDWo Nova Austral lied about smolt numbers to create mortalities ‘buffer’ https://t.co/PmgHKhkmNY Does this happen in Scotland too? @MowiScotlandLtd @scotseafarms @salmon_scottish @GriegShetland @SSPOsays pic.twitter.com/gXeMetJfUK
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 9, 2020
Read more via:
New Data Online Via 'Scotland's Aquaculture' - Mortalities, Toxic Chemicals & Biomass Exceedances
Under the Cloak of Coronavirus: SEPA open the floodgates to lobster-killing chemicals!
The Ferret: "Environmental rules for salmon farming industry relaxed"
SEPA relax environmental controls during Coronavirus crisis
SEPA recognise "challenges for operators to stay within biomass limits" during Covid-19 outbreak https://t.co/utk66qLkdt @ScottishEPA With @MowiScotlandLtd routinely breaching limits in 2019 how much welfare abuse & non-compliance will be tolerated in 2020? @SSPOsays @APHAgovuk pic.twitter.com/2fjjM4LJ0t
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 26, 2020
As Scottish salmon farmers shamelessly seek to exploit #Coronavirus - @SSPOsays are lobbying @ScottishEPA @marinescotland to increase biomass limits - here's salmon farms breaching biomass limits in 2019 @MowiScotlandLtd Where's there's Muck there's Mowi money! @HamishMacdonell pic.twitter.com/L78N9BuxUQ
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 12, 2020