Revealed: Scottish Sea Farms fail to report mortality numbers in 61% of 'Mortality Event Reports' @marinescotland - that's 167 missing cases which could be over 2 million @rspcaassured farmed salmon! @scotseafarms @marksandspencer @LeroySeafood @SSPOsays https://t.co/pvZAMsdhqC pic.twitter.com/vWsKR4apLC
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 9, 2021
Whilst Cooke Aquaculture and Grieg Seafood provide specific mortality numbers in over 98% of 'Mortality Event Reports' to the Scottish Government, other companies are less transparent. Marine Harvest (re-named Mowi in 2019) and Loch Duart report less but still provide specific data in 93%+ of cases.
Two companies - The Scottish Salmon Company and Scottish Sea Farms - are bringing down the entire industry average (16.5%) by failing to disclose numbers of mortalities to the Fish Health Inspectorate. In the case of Norwegian-owned Scottish Sea Farms they have failed to disclose the numbers of mortalities in a staggering 167 out of 276 'Mortality Event Reports' since 2017 - that's 61% of cases where mortality numbers are not provided which could equate with 2.2 million morts (including at their RSPCA Assured salmon farm in Loch Creran 'Special Area of Conservation').
Mortality rates at some of the salmon farms failing to disclose numbers of mortalities are as high as 24.5% so the losses must be significant:
According to the data published by the Fish Health Inspectorate on 4 March 2021 (up to the end of January 2021), Scottish Sea Farms are responsible for over half (54%) of the missing reports with The Scottish Salmon Company also failing to provide mortality numbers in over 100 cases.
Yet Scottish Sea Farms claimed last week that "all our reporting is up to date". Scottish Sea Farms Tweeted (6 March 2021):
If you look at the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate data on 'Mortality Event Reports' you will see rafts of missing numbers for Scottish Sea Farms:
In fact, out of 276 'Mortality Event Reports' reported by Scottish Sea Farms since 2017 only 109 (that's 39%) contained specific information on mortalities with 167 'Mortality Event Reports' failing to disclose numbers of mortalities. In other words, six out of ten 'Mortality Event Reports' reported by Scottish Sea Farms did not provide information on the extent of mortalities.
If you break the yearly data down, only 6 out of 54 'Mortality Event Reports' reported by Scottish Sea Farms during 2020 and January 2021 contained specific numbers of mortalities (i.e. only 11%). A meagre 17 out of 128 'Mortality Event Reports' in 2019 (13%) detailed mortality numbers.
New Data Online Now: Nearly half a million dead salmon reported in October 2020 via 75 'Mortality Events' headed by @salmon_scottish @MowiScotlandLtd @GriegShetland
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 14, 2020
But 16 reports (all @scotseafarms) do not provide numbers @marinescotland Why the secrecy? @FergusEwingMSP pic.twitter.com/vUSxF7ID9b
But it seems Scottish Sea Farms used to report more fully. In 2018, Scottish Sea Farms reported specific mortality figures in 42 out of 48 (that's 88%) of cases. And in 2017, Scottish Sea Farms reported mortality numbers in 74 out of 81 (91%) of 'Mortality Event Reports'. Why is Scottish Sea Farms increasingly failing to report mortalities?
Scottish Sea Farms fail to provide numbers of mortalities for 16 'Mortality Events' in October 2020 - including mass mortalities in Loch Creran (exposed by @BBCCountryfile @joe_crowley) https://t.co/YipDHj0eXL
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 14, 2020
Why is @rspcaassured @scotseafarms hiding the numbers of dead salmon? pic.twitter.com/U28zB5HvPM
Out of 1709 'Mortality Events' published since 2017 there are still 281 cases with missing figures (16%) @salmon_scottish has 106 & @scotseafarms has 140 with numbers not disclosed https://t.co/VWeqgu0zc6
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 9, 2020
Why? @marinescotland @SSPOsays @MairiGougeon @FergusEwingMSP @scotgov pic.twitter.com/oSMwgKgCMf
Number crunch the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate mortality data yourself but here's the highest mortalities by number reported by Scottish Sea Farms since 2017 (remember that Scottish Sea Farms only reported numbers in 109 out of 276 cases i.e. 39% contained mortality numbers):
And here's the latest cases where mortality numbers were either completely blank or "not provided":
So if 109 'Mortality Event Reports' equates with 1.46 million mortalities (as reported by Scottish Sea Farms since 2017) then 167 'Mortality Event Reports' (assuming the average number of mortalities is the same) could be equal to 2.23 million missing morts!
All our reporting is up to date, Andrew, and as required of us: reporting of fish mortalities per farm per month and any isolated mortality events.
— Scottish Sea Farms (@scotseafarms) March 6, 2021
When you claim that "all our reporting is up to date" don't you mean to say that only 39% of your mortality reporting is up to date? If you look at data since January 2020 then only 11% of 'Mortality Event Reports' detail mort numbers https://t.co/pvZAMsdhqC @LeroySeafood pic.twitter.com/xgGDLXf4Dl
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 9, 2021
Mortality numbers are still missing for Loch Spelve which suffered over 177,000 mass mortalities in late 2019:
Does the RSPCA still certify Loch Spelve? @rspcaassured @scotseafarms A 6% survival rate is truly shocking - out of 382,344 salmon stocked in the farm only 24,000 were harvested! How can the RSPCA condone such cruelty & suffering? @RSPCA_Frontline @RSPCA_official @RSPCAChris https://t.co/nAUVPrV1oQ
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 12, 2020
If the mortalities started on 16 September (due to "post physical delousing" & Complex Gill Disease) & the site was fallow on 29 October why did it take you until 14 November to officially report to @marinescotland with a telephone 'inspection' on the phone on 15 November? pic.twitter.com/sei4A4tDNh
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 12, 2020
Telephone inspection of @scotseafarms by @marinescotland in Loch Spelve - 366,000+ fish die (199,124 culled & 177,588 morts). Fish start dying on 16 Sept & site is fallowed on 29 Oct yet 'Mortality Event Reports' are dated 14 Nov with zero 'inspection' until phone call on 15 Nov pic.twitter.com/AHzlw7SrTo
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 12, 2020
Mortality numbers are also missing from a mass mortality incident at Scottish Farms in Shetland (Lippie Geo) in September 2020. The 'Mortality Event Report' submitted to the Fish Health Inspectorate by Scottish Sea Farms details a 4.48% mortality rate but does not provide data on numbers of morts:
Yet the 'Case Information' published by the Fish Health Inspectorate in relation to a site inspection of the Lippie Geo site on 17 September 2020 details 13,699 morts attributed solely to a botched chemical treatment with Azasure (the toxic organophosphate Azamethiphos) in ONE cage:
Secret Scottish Sea Farms - Numbers of dead salmon "not provided" @marinescotland but Fish Health Inspectorate cites 13,699 morts in just ONE cage at Lippie Geo in Shetland due to a failed chemical treatment with Azamethiphos https://t.co/pvZAMsdhqC @scotseafarms @LeroySeafood pic.twitter.com/y8VuQtsccu
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 16, 2021
Another mass mortality in Shetland in August 2002 was not reported in full by Scottish Sea Farms to the Fish Health Inspectorate. Numbers of dead farmed salmon following a fire in a well boat at their salmon farm at Holms Geo were "not provided" even though the mortality rate was 15.9%.
However, recently published 'Case Information' provide specific information on the mass mortality at Scottish Sea Farms in August 2020 and further mass mortalities at Holm Geo salmon farm in 2018:
Revealed: 29,000 farmed salmon @scotseafarms in Shetland died in a fire on board the Ocean Aquila. A further 28,000 died at Holms Geo in 2018 - 21,500 dying due to Cardiomyopathy Syndrome https://t.co/pvZAMsdhqC@marinescotland @LeroySeafood @Folketrygdfond @SSPOsays @Shetnews pic.twitter.com/7VFt53gvFa
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 16, 2021
Shetland News reported in November 2020:
In November 2020, the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate reported following an inspection at Kerrera B salmon farm operated by Scottish Sea Farms:
How Mortalities Slip Through the Reporting Net - 7,500 dead salmon @scotseafarms "due to transportation mortality & fish acclimatising after input" but not required to report to @marinescotland "as its within 6 weeks of stocking" https://t.co/pvZAMsdhqC pic.twitter.com/IbXmd8GJuM
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 16, 2021
In November 2020, Scottish Salmon Watch wrote to the Norwegian Government to divest from 'unethical' salmon farming companies operating in Scotland including Scottish Sea Farms.
Did you know that the Norwegian Government's Pension Fund (derived from Norway's oil revenues) is the largest or 2nd largest shareholder in companies which account for 80% of 'Scottish' salmon farming? @Folketrygdfond @MowiScotlandLtd @salmon_scottish https://t.co/4P1m3g2CvT pic.twitter.com/Sl6bFlcwaK
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 30, 2020
Today (9 March 2021), Scottish Salmon Watch wrote to the Scottish Government and the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation asking why the non-disclosure of mortality numbers by Scottish Sea Farms was being tolerated. "Scottish Sea Farms is bringing the whole sordid salmon farming industry further into disrepute," said Don Staniford, Director of Scottish Salmon Watch. "The lack of transparency over mortality reporting of Scottish salmon is a scandal."
If you're looking for data on numbers of @rspcaassured dead farmed salmon in Scotland they don't exist - in 2013 @SSPOsays lobbied @ScottishEPA not to disclose mortalities as it was deemed commercially damaging! https://t.co/cDEyvS04dO @strathearnrose @salmon_scottish @scotgp pic.twitter.com/FICRbrpGXJ
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) September 2, 2020
Here's Scottish Salmon Watch's email to the Scottish Government (9 March 2021):
Date: Tue, Mar 9, 2021 at 10:17 AM
Subject: Missing Mortality Data for Scottish Sea Farms
To: <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>
Cc: Beamish C (Claudia), MSP <[email protected]>, Ruskell M (Mark), MSP <[email protected]>, MSP <[email protected]>, Fergus Ewing <[email protected]>, Lesley Rice <[email protected]>, Hamish Macdonell <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, Enquiries <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>
And it was forwarded to the co-owners of Scottish Sea Farms (Leroy and SalMar):
Date: Tue, Mar 9, 2021 at 10:29 AM
Subject: Fwd: Missing Mortality Data for Scottish Sea Farms
To: <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>
"Scottish Sea Farms is bringing the whole sordid salmon farming industry further into disrepute" said Scottish Salmon Watch "The lack of transparency over mortality reporting of Scottish salmon is a scandal" https://t.co/pvZAMsdhqC@scotseafarms @rspcaassured @Folketrygdfond pic.twitter.com/sdWnSWlbxP
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 9, 2021
1/2 No missing cases - we have complied fully with our mortality reporting obligations; the difference being we provided our data as % of the total population (thought to be more informative and as reflected in the Code of Good Practice) rather than a number as per your table.
— Scottish Sea Farms (@scotseafarms) March 9, 2021
2/2 As you will be able to verify via the Marine Scotland website, as of early December '20, reflecting the ongoing evolution of reporting frequency and format, we are now reporting mortality data both as a % of the total population and as a number.
— Scottish Sea Farms (@scotseafarms) March 9, 2021
In terms of numbers of mortalities @scotseafarms could you please flesh out the data since October?
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 10, 2021
If 24.5% of @rspcaassured @marksandspencer salmon died at East Lismore in one week in November out of say 400,000 does that mean ca. 100,000 fish died? @marinescotland @SSPOsays pic.twitter.com/yaPtDy1Q3H
As you will be able to verify via the Marine Scotland website there are still gaps even in data reported in January 2021 https://t.co/oZtlH0CRpV pic.twitter.com/o7yyHMVpjo
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 10, 2021
So what is the total population at Walters (East Lismore) where 7 'Mortality Event Reports' have been filed since late September? Weekly mortality rates reported include 24.5%, 20.2% & 14.9% - do you have any @rspcaassured salmon left alive to sell via @marksandspencer ? pic.twitter.com/C8l1DORSFI
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 10, 2021
So the survival rate at Lismore East was 63% (i.e. 37% mortality) - how many fish died? If there were 500,000 farmed salmon on site then mortalities would be 185,000! pic.twitter.com/6OIiwhfpZR
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 10, 2021
Read more via:
- Petition Against Scottish Sea Farms Expansion Plan Near Oban
- Mass Mortalities Continue to Plague Scottish Salmon
- Scottish Salmon's #1 Seal Killer - Norway's 'Scottish' Sea Farms Named & Shamed!
- Locals Horse in Opposition to Scottish Sea Farms
- New Data Online Via 'Scotland's Aquaculture' - Mortalities, Toxic Chemicals & Biomass Exceedances
- Leaked Email: Staff Cuts at Scottish Sea Farms Compromise Fish Welfare
- Welfare Warning for Scottish Salmon - stormy waters & prolonged periods of pain forecast!
- Herald: "Scottish salmon found in ‘sickening’ conditions across Scotland as sea lice problem escalates"
- Video Exposes Welfare Abuse at RSPCA Assured salmon farm sourced by M&S 'Lochmuir'
- BBC Countryfile features lice-infested RSPCA Assured salmon!
- Alexa, how many salmon die each year on Scottish salmon farms? 42 million* (but we don't know for sure as the answer is deemed "commercially damaging")!
- Over One Million Morts for Scottish Salmon in September 2020!
- Survival of the Unhealthiest Scottish Salmon - New data reveals shocking mortality rates!
- Dead in the Water - New Data Reveals Mass Mortalities & Disease on Scottish Salmon Farms
- "Over 50" Lice Per Fish at Scottish Sea Farms in Loch Kishorn
- Sick 'Scottish' Sea Farms
Petition launched against expansion plans by 'Scottish' Sea Farms near Oban https://t.co/8X5hB1NYE3
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 3, 2021
Stop polluting the marine environment with toxic chemicals & end welfare abuse on salmon farms! @rspcaassured @SSPCA_Mike @scotseafarms @LeroySeafood @Folketrygdfond @obantimes pic.twitter.com/IreM0aXBF4