Data Update: 1,886 'Mortality Event Reports' filed in Scotland since 2017 detailing over 21 million dead farmed salmon @marinescotland @SSPOsays @ScotlandMowi @salmon_scottish @scotseafarms @rspcaassured @GriegShetland @CookeScotland @LochDuartSalmonhttps://t.co/tfxR0VWuMN pic.twitter.com/3812SPYKKS
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 15, 2021
Data published earlier this month by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate details 'Mortality Event Reports' reported by salmon farming companies since January 2017 (data now online up to the end of January 2021):
A staggering 1,886 'Mortality Event Reports' have been filed by salmon farmers in Scotland since January 2017 (data up to the end of January 2021) totalling 21.1 million deaths (although 311 reports - 16.5% - did not provide numbers of dead farmed salmon meaning there could have been another 3-4 million deaths).
Marine Harvest (re-named Mowi in 2019 due to "negative consumer perception" in the name Marine Harvest) leads the way in terms of numbers of mortalities reported to the Fish Health Inspectorate with 6.9 million morts closely followed by The Scottish Salmon Company with 6.1 million morts and then Cooke Aquaculture with 3.2 million morts. The Scottish Salmon Company heads the number of 'Mortality Event Reports' with 670 followed by Mowi/Marine Harvest with 392, Scottish Sea Farms with 276, Cooke Aquaculture with 225, Grieg Seafood with 164 and Loch Duart with 116. The highest mortality rate reported was 57.3% by Scottish Sea Farms.
Here's video footage of mass mortalities at Mowi's RSPCA Assured salmon farm in Loch Torridon shot in September 2020:
Mmm Mowi's @rspcaassured farmed salmon from Loch Torridon comes marinaded in diseases & viruses including salmon gill poxvirus, amoebic gill disease & epitheliocystis @ScotlandMowi @marinescotland @SSPOsays @sainsburys @AldiUK @LidlGB @coopuk @waitrose @Tesco @Morrisons @ASC_aqua pic.twitter.com/EbGosMFv56
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 9, 2021
Last week (9 March 2021), Scottish Salmon Watch revealed that Norwegian-owned Scottish Sea Farms failed to report mortality numbers in 61% of 'Mortality Event Reports' since January 2017.
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
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.
"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
Some salmon farming companies struggle to report mortalities even during inspections by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate.
Oops - Scottish Salmon Company forget to mention mortality of 37,281 during inspection by @marinescotland
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 17, 2021
How many more dead salmon are not reported? @GreenerScotland @SSPOsays @salmon_scottish @LeroySeafood @Folketrygdfond @scotseafarms @Try_Lochlander https://t.co/FiaGuR3KoG pic.twitter.com/C1lHQ9uBeZ
STV News reported on mass mortalities at The Scottish Salmon Company's Aird salmon farm in June 2019:
In November 2020, Scottish Salmon Watch estimated that 42 million farmed salmon died in 2019 on salmon farms in Scotland.
Alexa, how many salmon die each year on Scottish salmon farms? 42 million* https://t.co/jRQzhheju6
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 11, 2020
Sadly we don't know for sure as the answer is deemed "commercially damaging" by @sspo!
Will @ScottishEPA & @marinescotland force disclosure? @salmon_scottish @rspcaassured pic.twitter.com/fua9nkM6g3
Last week the Norwegian Fisheries Minister said the deaths of 52 million farmed salmon in Norway in 2020 was "too high".
Salmon deaths (52 million) too high says Norway fisheries minister @fiskeridir @NFdep @LeroySeafood https://t.co/THs6N2Sgu3
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 11, 2021
How many die in Scotland? @FergusEwingSNP @SSPOsays @strathearnrose @ScotlandMowi @scotseafarms @salmon_scottish @GriegShetland @marinescotland
Meanwhile in secret Scotland there is no published data on numbers of mortalities on salmon farms after the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation successfully lobbied against disclosure in 2013 arguing that publication would be "commercially damaging".
Censored: Salmon farmers in Scotland refuse to publish numbers of deaths as disclosure is "commercially damaging" https://t.co/FiaGuR3KoG
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 11, 2021
Yet Norway published 2020 data detailing 52 million deaths - why the double standard when Norway owns 80% of 'Scottish' salmon? @ScottishEPA pic.twitter.com/S6d45qnsTx
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
Read more via:
- 52 million deaths in Norway - how many millions died on Scottish salmon farms in 2020?
- The Case Against Scottish Salmon - An Update on Diseases & Mass Mortalities!
- 2.2 Million Missing Mortalities at Scottish Sea Farms?
- Mass Mortalities Continue to Plague Scottish 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
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
"The reality is that vast majority of our fish are extremely healthy" claims head vet @scotseafarms (chair of the SSPCA) https://t.co/d1EDMto0q1
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 23, 2021
So how do you explain why 50% of Scottish farmed salmon - over 40 million per year from hatch to 'catch' - die? https://t.co/tfxR0VWuMN pic.twitter.com/XWDSrjNnGL
Congratulations to 'Scottish' salmon for reducing mortality rates from 35% (1 in 3 fish dead) to 17% (1 in 6) from Sept 2020 to Feb 2021. Big shout out to @salmon_scottish for 43.8% survival (i.e. 56.2% mortality) at Plocropol @SSPOsays @rspcaassured https://t.co/a3w08wp8bt pic.twitter.com/rsgjDVphnw
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) April 27, 2021