Revealed: Burned, Buried & Ensiled Scottish Salmon

 

'Case Information' from over 200 inspections of salmon farms published by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate has been used to piece together where an estimated 42 million dead salmon in hatcheries and on sea farms is disposed of each year.   

Here are the waste disposal routes for Scottish farmed salmon mortalities (data sourced from ‘Case Information’ as published by the Scottish Government’s Fish Health Inspectorate for salmon farm inspections between September 2019 and December 2020) headed by Dundas Chemicals, ensiling, incineration, Biogas Energen, Whiteshore Cockles and TWMA Shetland*:

 

Download in full as a PDF online here

 

 

 

Read more via:

Casing Where Diseased Scottish Salmon Head After They Die - data from the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate (March 2021)

Media Backgrounder: Waste Disposal Routes for Scottish Salmon - Where Do All the Dead Fish Go? (March 2021)

 

 

 

 

More background via: 

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")! (November 2020)

The Ferret: "Farmed salmon deaths from disease reach record high" (July 2020)

The Killing Farms - Scottish Salmon's Horror Story Continues! (February 2020)

Solving Scottish Salmon's Multi-Million Mortality Problem (October 2019)

Media Backgrounder: Disease-Ridden Scottish Salmon is Dead in the Water (September 2019)

Mass deaths: nine million fish killed by diseases at Scottish salmon farms (April 2019)

Sunday Mail: "Scottish salmon farms in disease hell row after tons of rotting fish dumped in skips" (November 2018)

Media Backgrounder: Scottish Salmon's Mort Mountain (September 2018)

Scottish Salmon Farming Horror - Mass Graves Uncovered (September 2018)

Highlands & Islands Exposed: FOI disclosure lifts lid on mass mortalities on Scottish salmon farms (June 2018)

Photo Gallery: Dead Salmon from Scotland's Disease-Ridden Salmon Farms (April 2018)

Sunday Times: "Scots councils ‘failing to enforce EC laws on leaky salmon trucks’" (January 2018)

Daily Mail: "Thousands of fish thrown in a truck - and troubling new questions for salmon farms" (January 2018)

First Minister questioned on leaking wastes from morts - call for a moratorium from Greens (December 2017)

BBC's 'Dead Salmon Run' Opens Can of Worms (December 2017)

Millions of Scottish Salmon Going Up in Smoke (December 2017)

Sunday Herald: "A disgrace: ten million salmon thrown away by fish farm industry in last year alone" (October 2017)

Death rate at salmon farms doubles to 20m fish a year (July 2017)

New report estimates that Scottish salmon farming mortalities are now running at 20 million fish a year despite 2/3rds of the industry being certified as RSPCA Assured (July 2017)

Media Backgrounder: Mort Disposal of Scottish Farmed Salmon (May 2017)

European Commission complaint over dead fish dumping forces rule change (April 2016)

Scottish watchdog labelled ‘lapdog’ after agreeing to keep fish farm deaths secret (October 2013)

Farmed salmon killed by disease leaps to 8.5 million (February 2013)

Where have all the dead fish gone? (February 2013)

 

 

Mowi Letter response to Questions and Comments from the Arnisdale Community (December 2020)

 

Appendix: FOI requests filed by Scottish Salmon Watch

 

From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, Dec 7, 2020 at 11:21 AM
Subject: FOI re. Dundas Chemical Company since 1 January 2019
To: <[email protected]>

 

Please provide information on Dundas Chemical Company (Mosspark, Annan Road, Dumfries DG1 4PH) since 1 January 2019.

 

Please include any details of complaints, non-compliances, warning letters, pollution offences, pollution incidents, environmental issues, welfare issues and animal health issues.

 

Please include any photos, emails, letters and other information relating to Dundas Chemical Company since 1 January 2019.

 

Specifically, please include any information on farmed salmon waste - including transport, disposal and processing. 

 

Scottish Salmon Watch notes that Dundas Chemical Company has a poor and very poor track record in terms of compliance as assessed by SEPA: https://www2.sepa.org.uk/compliance/

 

 

Please consider this a FOI request under the relevant FOI and Environmental Information regulations.

 

Please provide a receipt for this FOI request.

 

Please provide the information electronically.

 

Thanks,

 

Don Staniford

 

Director, Scottish Salmon Watch

 

 

 

From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, Dec 7, 2020 at 12:13 PM
Subject: Fwd: FOI re. Dundas Chemical Company since 1 January 2019
To: <[email protected]>

Please provide information on Dundas Chemical Company since 1 January 2019.

 

Please include any details of complaints, non-compliances, warning letters, pollution offences, pollution incidents, environmental issues, welfare issues and animal health issues.

 

Please include any photos, emails, letters and other information relating to Dundas Chemical Company since 1 January 2019.

 

Specifically, please include any information on farmed salmon waste - including transport, disposal and processing. 

 

Note Dundas Chemical Company's web-site via: http://www.dundas-chemical.co.uk/index.html

 

"Dundas Chemical Co Ltd produces salmon oil and hydrolysate from the further processing of salmon by products at its Category 3 site at Motherwell"

 

 

Please consider this a FOI request under the relevant FOI and Environmental Information regulations.

 

Please provide a receipt for this FOI request.

 

Please provide the information electronically.

 

Thanks,

 

Don Staniford

 

Director, Scottish Salmon Watch

 

 

 

From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, Dec 8, 2020 at 11:13 AM
Subject: FOI re. Whiteshore Cockles since 1 January 2019
To: CNES FOI Team <[email protected]>

Please provide information on Whiteshore Cockles since 1 January 2019. 

 

Please include any letters, emails, photos, complaints, discussions and any other details relating to Whiteshore Cockles and the transport, disposal, burial, incineration, ensilage and processing of farmed salmon wastes and mortalities. 

 

As context, please note a FOI disclosure in September 2018 from the Scottish Government: https://www.gov.scot/publications/disposal-of-mortalities-at-whiteshore-cockles-foi-release/

 

Another FOI disclosure by SEPA in 2019 (F0190855) did not provide any information from SEPA's perspective.

 

The Scottish Government FOI disclosure included a letter from Whiteshore Cockles to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar in November 2015 requested an extension of the derogation until September 2016:

 

 

And the letter generated discussion - including:

 

 

 

 

 

Data published by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate in 2019 and 2020 (online via: https://www.gov.scot/collections/publication-of-fish-health-inspectorate-information/) shows that farmed salmon mortalities may still be being buried at Whiteshore Cockles. 

 

Please consider this a FOI request under the relevant FOI and Environmental Information regulations.

 

Please provide a receipt for this FOI request.

 

Please provide the information electronically.

 

Thanks,

 

Don Staniford

 

Director, Scottish Salmon Watch

 

 

 

From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, Dec 8, 2020 at 12:34 PM
Subject: FOI re. waste disposal of salmon mortalities in Shetland since 1 January 2019
To: <[email protected]>

Please provide information on waste disposal of salmon mortalities in Shetland since 1 January 2019.

 

Please include any reference to landfill disposal (e.g Gremista), TWMA (Vatster, Gott, Shetland, ZE2 9SG), Pelagia Bressay, Shetland Waste to Energy (https://www.sheap-ltd.co.uk/),  Scanbio, Hordafor, Sparebanken Vest and any other companies which transport farmed salmon mortalities and wastes to Norway as ensilage and companies which handle salmon farm mortalities in Shetland and the UK.

 

TWMA, Pelagia Bressay and Shetland Waste to Energy have been cited as receiving mortalities from salmon farms in 2019 and 2020 (as detailed in the Scottish Government Fish Health Inspectorate's 'Case Information': https://www.gov.scot/collections/publication-of-fish-health-inspectorate-information/). 

 

A Shetland Renewables report published in 2011 (online via https://www.shetlandrenewables.com/assets/files/WP6%20Enerfish%20Report%20D13%20Final%20Report.pdf) included:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Scottish Government report published in 2005 (online via https://www2.gov.scot/Publications/2005/03/20717/52863) included:

 

 

A Zero Waste Scotland report published in 2016 (online via https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/research-and-analysis/2016/05/zero-waste-report-finfish-mortalities-in-scotland/documents/finfish-mortalities-in-scotland/finfish-mortalities-in-scotland/govscot:document/finfish+morr) included:

 

 

 

 

A previous FOI reply from the Scottish Government also referred in October 2015 (online via: donstaniford.typepad.com/files/foi-document-6-from-scottish-government.pdf) to:

 

This FOI request would hope to update the current situation and gauge the various streams of farmed salmon mortalities and waste disposal routes.

 

Please consider this a FOI request under the relevant FOI and Environmental Information regulations.

 

Please provide a receipt for this FOI request.

 

Please provide the information electronically.

 

Thanks,

 

Don Staniford

 

Director, Scottish Salmon Watch

 

 

 

From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, Dec 10, 2020 at 12:06 PM
Subject: FOI re. Energen Biogas in Cumbernauld and farmed salmon disposal/processing
To: <[email protected]>

Please provide information on waste disposal/processing of salmon mortalities at Energen Biogas in Cumberland since 1 January 2019.

 

Please include any complaints, odour issues, breaches of regulations, warning letters, emails and any other information relating to the above. 

 

'Case Information' published by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate reveals Energen Biogas in Cumbernauld as a depository for mortalities from the disease-ridden salmon farming industry. 

 

Please consider this a FOI request under the relevant FOI and Environmental Information regulations.

 

Please provide a receipt for this FOI request.

 

Please provide the information electronically.

 

Thanks,

 

Don Staniford

 

Director, Scottish Salmon Watch

 

 

 

From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, Dec 10, 2020 at 12:28 PM
Subject: FOI re. Western Isles IWM Facility at Creed since 1 January 2019
To: CNES FOI Team <[email protected]>

Please provide information on the Western Isles IWM Facility at Creed in Stornoway since 1 January 2019.

 

Please provide any information specifically in relation to farmed salmon wastes and mortalities - including complaints, odour issues, pollution, photos, data, funding, environmental issues and any other information.

 

'Case Information' published by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate reveals the Creed facility in Stornoway as a depository for mortalities from the disease-ridden salmon farming industry (along with Whiteshore Cockles - subject to a previous FOI request). 

 

Please consider this a FOI request under the relevant FOI and Environmental Information regulations.

 

Please provide a receipt for this FOI request.

 

Please provide the information electronically.

 

Thanks,

 

Don Staniford

 

Director, Scottish Salmon Watch

 

 

 

 

From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, Dec 10, 2020 at 2:08 PM
Subject: FOI re. SSE Barkip since 1 January 2019
To: FreedomOfInformation <[email protected]>

 

Please provide information on the SSE Anaerobic Digestion Plant at Barkip since 1 January 2019.

 

Please provide information relating to odour problems, complaints and any information specifically related to farmed salmon mortalities. 

 

According to the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate, SSE Barkip received over 11,000 disease-ridden mortalities from Grieg Seafood's salmon farm in Loch Snizort in May 2020 (the dead fish had also been treated with antibiotics - Florfenicol - and toxic chemicals - Azamethiphos and Hydrogen Peroxide):

 

 

Please consider this a FOI request under the relevant FOI and Environmental Information regulations.

 

Please provide a receipt for this FOI request.

 

Please provide the information electronically.

 

Thanks,

 

Don Staniford

 

Director, Scottish Salmon Watch

 

 

 

From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, Dec 10, 2020 at 2:16 PM
Subject: FOI re. Scottish Water's Deerdykes in Cumbernauld since 1 January 2019
To: <[email protected]>

Please provide information on Scottish Water's Deerdykes recycling (anaerobic digestion) facility in Cumbernauld since 1 January 2019.

 

Please include details of any complaints, fines, odour problems, breaches, pollution or any information specific to farmed salmon disposal.

 

The Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate reported in November 2019 that disease-ridden mortalities from Mowi's North Shore salmon farm in Loch Erisort were transported as ensiled waste to Deerdykes (ca. 130,000 mortalities were reported in October 2019).

 

 

 

 

 

Please consider this a FOI request under the relevant FOI and Environmental Information regulations.

 

Please provide a receipt for this FOI request.

 

Please provide the information electronically.

 

Thanks,

 

Don Staniford

 

Director, Scottish Salmon Watch

 

 

 

 

From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, Dec 11, 2020 at 9:29 AM
Subject: FOI re. BioGask & Gray Composting since 1 January 2019
To: <[email protected]>

Please provide information on BioGask and Gray Composting since 1 January 2019.

 

These are the facilities:

https://www.gaskfarm.co.uk/location-contact-details/

https://graycompost.co.uk/

 

Please include information on farmed salmon mortalities, complaints, odour problems, pollution incidents, environmental issues and any data on dead fish since 1 January 2019. 

 

As context, data published by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate shows that BioGask and Gray Composting have acted as a waste depository for diseased farmed salmon. 

 

Please consider this a FOI request under the relevant FOI and Environmental Information regulations.

 

Please provide a receipt for this FOI request.

 

Please provide the information electronically.

 

Thanks,

 

Don Staniford

 

Director, Scottish Salmon Watch

 

 

From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, Dec 11, 2020 at 9:41 AM
Subject: Addendum: Keenan Recycling since 1 January 2019
To: <[email protected]>

Please add to the FOI request:

https://www.keenanrecycling.co.uk (Hillhead, Auchreddie, New Deer, Tuffif, Aberdeenshire)

 

 

 

 

From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, Dec 11, 2020 at 9:56 AM
Subject: FOI re. incinerator at Twatt & Big Breck Quarry (could be one of the same) since 1 January 2019
To: foi <[email protected]>

Please provide information on the incinerator at Twatt and the Big Breck Quarry at Twatt (it could be one of the same) since 1 January 2019.

 

Please include information on farmed salmon mortalities, complaints, odour problems, pollution incidents, environmental issues, photos and any data on dead fish since 1 January 2019. 

 

As background, Orkney News reported in February 2020:

 

 

 SEPA's Compliance Assessment for 2018 was 'Very Poor':

 

 

 

As context, data published by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate shows that an incinerator at Twatt in Orkney has sourced diseased farmed salmon from Scottish Sea Farms.  For example, here's a report from December 2019 via https://www.gov.scot/publications/fish-health-inspectorate-case-information-2019/

 

Via: Cases 20190399-20190728

 

Please consider this a FOI request under the relevant FOI and Environmental Information regulations.

 

Please provide a receipt for this FOI request.

 

Please provide the information electronically.

 

Thanks,

 

Don Staniford

 

Director, Scottish Salmon Watch

 

 

 

From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, Dec 15, 2020 at 10:13 AM
Subject: Review re: #2020121027000559 - FOI re. Western Isles IWM Facility at Creed since 1 January 2019
To: Tim Langley <[email protected]>
Cc: CNES FOI Team <[email protected]>

Please consider this a formal request for a review of 2020121027000559.

 

Please see below for Scottish Salmon Watch's FOI request filed on 10 December 2020 and the FOI reply yesterday (14 December 2020).

 

The FOI reply claims that: "Creed has not received any wastes or mortalities from any salmon farms for the period requested."

 

Could you please double-check the accuracy of this statement and provide ALL the information requested?

 

Scottish Salmon Watch doubts that the Creed facility has not received any salmon farming mortalities or wastes from salmon farming since January 2019.

 

For example, The Scottish Salmon Company reported in September 2020:

 

 

Water Online reported in April 2020:

 

 

A report by Europa University Flensberg (understood to be dated February 2018) - which The Scottish Salmon Company and Western Isles Council are listed as "partners in the project" - included:

 

 

Download report as a PDF via:

a sustainable energy model for a circular economy - Europa ...

 

 

 

Fish Farming Expert reported in August 2019:

 

 

 

 

 

 

This web-page even features a photo of The Scottish Salmon Company's farmed salmon mortalities being deposited into the Creed IWMF facility:

 

 

Online via: https://www.landiainc.com/Fish-industry/Show-News--Fish-industry/Anaerobic-Digestion-Of-Aquaculture-Organics?Action=1&M=NewsV2&PID=7289

 

Here's more photos of the "Salmon Crush" with the Scottish Salmon Company's name (SSC) visible on the side of the green bin:

 

 

 

In April 2020, the Scottish Government Fish Health Inspectorate reported via 'Case Information': https://www.gov.scot/publications/fish-health-inspectorate-case-information-2020/

 

 

Online as a PDF via Cases 20200031-20200174

 

 

In view of the public information posted above - and other information available online pointing to the Creed facility receiving farmed salmon mortalities - please therefore conduct a thorough review of your FOI response and provide the information requested on 10 December 2020.

 

 

Please provide a receipt for this FOI review request.

 

Please provide the information electronically.

 

Thanks,

 

Don Staniford

 

Director, Scottish Salmon Watch

 

 

 

From: <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, Dec 18, 2020 at 1:49 PM
Subject: FOI re. waste disposal of salmon mortalities in Shetland since 1 January 2019
To: <[email protected]>

Good afternoon

Thank you for your freedom of information enquiry, in response to your request:

No salmon was landfilled at the Gremista Waste Management Facility in 2019 or 2020.

In 2019 102.460 tonnes of fish waste* was incinerated in the Energy Recovery Plant, Lerwick, Shetland.

Between Jan and Nov 2020 32.26 tonnes of fish waste* was incinerated. 

*Note: a small amount of fish other than salmon is included in these tonnages.

I trust that this response meets your request.  However, if you are dissatisfied with the way in which the Council has dealt with your request for information then you may ask the authority to review its actions and decisions in relation to your request, by submitting a formal appeal

Many thanks

Paula

Paula Nicolson

Clerical Officer

 

 

From: <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, Dec 22, 2020 at 12:29 PM
Subject: Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 Request - Ref: 101003736670
To: <[email protected]>

 

Dear Don Staniford

Thank you for your request for information dated 10th December 2020 which was received by North Ayrshire Council.

We have now completed our research for the information and the responses to your questions are listed below.

Request

Please provide information on the SSE Anaerobic Digestion Plant at Barkip since 1 January 2019.

Please provide information relating to odour problems, complaints and any information specifically related to farmed salmon mortalities.

According to the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate, SSE Barkip received over 11,000 disease-ridden mortalities from Grieg Seafood's salmon farm in Loch Snizort in May 2020 (the dead fish had also been treated with antibiotics - Florfenicol - and toxic chemicals - Azamethiphos and Hydrogen Peroxide):

Response

North Ayrshire Council can confirm that Environmental Health hold no records relating to odour problems, complaints or any information specifically related to farmed salmon mortalities for the period in question.

Therefore, North Ayrshire Council gives notice under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 that this information is not held.

Your right to seek a review.

Should you be dissatisfied with the way in which North Ayrshire Council has dealt with your request you have the right to ask us to review it.

You should explain why you wish a review to be carried out and should be made within 40 working days of receipt of this response. We will then reply within 20 working days of receipt and employees not involved in your original request will undertake the review. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review you then have the right to make a formal complaint to the Scottish Information Commissioner at http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal

Any request for a review should be made in writing in the first instance to:

FOI /EIR Manager
Data Service
Cunninghame House
Irvine
Ayrshire
KA12 8EE

Email : [email protected]ayrshire.gov.uk

The supply of documents under the terms of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 does not give the applicant or whoever receives the information any right to re-use it in such a way that might infringe the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This includes making multiple copies, publishing or otherwise distributing the information to other individuals and the public.

While efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, its accuracy is not warranted. In particular, the Council accepts no liability for onward sale or transfer of this information to any third party and for any reliance placed on such information by you or by a third party.

Yours sincerely

Jessica McCallum
Freedom of Information Co-ordinator

Infrastructure Services

Gremista

Lerwick

744809