Trading Standards Victory: "Our salmon is farm reared" admit Belhaven Smokehouse after complaint! https://t.co/4uLJAg2Jjf @Belhavenfood @socotss @ELCouncil @elcourier @SSPOsays @GriegShetland @scotseafarms @Shetnews @bbcshetland @shetlandtimes @tavishscott #ScottishScamon https://t.co/rmzQZEfdLt pic.twitter.com/xroNOdep2R
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) April 30, 2021
Like Rick Stein earlier this month, Belhaven Smokehouse have been forced to correct their web-site which was falsely marketing and deceptively advertising factory farmed salmon as 'wild'. Following a complaint filed yesterday (29 April) with East Lothian Trading Standards, Belhaven Smokehouse's web-site now publicly admits their smoked salmon "is farm reared in the wild and turbulent, coastal waters off Shetland & Orkney".
In the 24 hours since the Trading Standards complaint was filed, Belhaven Smokehouse deleted the following miseading messaging from their home web-page:
"Adhering to responsible sourcing, our quality salmon comes from the wild waters of Shetland"
And Belhaven Smokehouse's 'Did You Know' web-page deleted the following section:
"Is it Scottish? Almost three-quarters of salmon sold in the UK comes from Norway. Norwegian salmon is typically 10% to 15% cheaper than Scottish Salmon, however it takes longer for the fish to arrive in the UK so isn’t as fresh as our Scottish salmon. It also hasn’t been swimming in our wild Scottish waters which we think makes Scottish salmon firmer, fitter and better tasting".
"Belhaven Smokehouse and Ethico Holdings are clearly operating a consumer con and fraud," wrote Scottish Salmon Watch in a complaint filed with East Lothian Trading Standards at 9.25am yesterday (29 April 2021) morning. "Scottish Salmon Watch sincerely hopes that a quick phone call from Trading Standards can lead to Belhaven Smokehouse being honest and transparent about the provenance of their salmon products. For example, which sites and companies in Shetland is the salmon sourced from? Is the 'wild' salmon sourced from farms with disease, lice and virus problems? Has the 'wild' salmon supplier killed seals? Scottish Salmon Watch has presented further evidence on the significant differences between farmed and wild salmon and why consumers have a right to know if the salmon they buy is wild or farmed. The blog also details information from Companies House on the people involved with Ethico Holdings (owners of Belhaven Smokehouse) which include a Robert Trotter - not to be confused with Rodney Trotter and Del Boy Trotter of Trotter Independent Trading Co. Scottish Salmon Watch does not think that even Del Boy would pull a sham, scam and a consumer con as pulled here by Belhaven Smokehouse."
Complaint re. 'Wild' Shetland Salmon Filed with Trading Standards in East Lothian https://t.co/8g6db0ZSag
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) April 29, 2021
Not even Del Boy of Trotters Independent Trading would dare to pull a salmon scam like Belhaven Smokehouse! @Belhavenfood @socotss @ELCouncil @elcourier #ScottishScamon pic.twitter.com/V0b35zJJsQ
Here's Belhaven Smokehouse's misleading marketing lifted from their web-site yesterday morning (29 April 2021) before it was corrected following Scottish Salmon Watch's complaint to Trading Standards.
Here's the now corrected web-pages containing the wild claims:
The owners and investors in Belhaven Smokehouse must clearly be big fans of Del Boy from 'Only Fools & Horses'.
"Belhaven Smokehouse, just like Rick Stein, is guilty of hoodwinking consumers as to the provenance of salmon," said Don Staniford, Director of Scottish Salmon Watch in a statement issued yesterday morning (29 April 2021). "Marketing factory farmed salmon as 'swimming in wild waters' and 'from the wild waters of Shetland' is a sham, scam and a consumer con. Shetland has no wild salmon river runs and it is understood to be a criminal offence to catch wild salmon in Shetland. The public are being duped into thinking this is a wild salmon product when it is undoubtedly sourced from a factory salmon farm. Salmon farming in Shetland, as well as the rest of Scotland, is a disease-ridden welfare nightmare. No wonder Belhaven Smokehouse is reluctant to be honest with their online and farm shop customers."
"Thanks to East Lothian Trading Standards and Belhaven Smokehouse for now correcting their false marketing claims," added Staniford today (30 April 2021) following the corrections. "Scottish Salmon Watch received a tip off from an eagle-eyed supporter late on Tuesday and it's been a quick victory for consumers. The public have a right to know where their 'Scottish' salmon comes from and the ugly truth is that 100% of the 'Scottish' salmon you see in supermarkets and advertised online is sourced from factory farms where welfare abuse, infectious diseases and the use of toxic chemicals can run rampant. Please don't buy so-called 'Scottish' salmon which is actually 99% owned by six foreign companies and 90% of which is on-grown in tanks and cages via imported ova (eggs) from Norway, Iceland and Ireland. Don't fall for Scottish Scamon - please take the pledge not to buy farmed salmon."
Friends don't let friends eat farmed salmon - please make a video pledge today! https://t.co/4aHyVQVGGA#SalmonPledge #Boycott #Farmed #Salmon pic.twitter.com/cuPmMCXLlW
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) April 5, 2021
Read more via:
Complaint re. 'Wild' Shetland Salmon Filed with Trading Standards in East Lothian
BBC News: "Rick Stein's shop changes description of smoked salmon after complaint"
Victory: Rick Stein Forced to Advertise Faroese Farmed Salmon After Trading Standards Investigation
Beware Scottish Salmon's Online Scam!
Rick Stein's smoked salmon scam - a fishy case of deceptive advertising & misleading marketing?
BBC News: "Director of Scottish Salmon Watch Don Staniford called on retailers to be more 'honest' over the origins of their salmon products" https://t.co/RungqPbUF4 @sainsburys @Tesco @marksandspencer @waitrose @AldiUK @coopuk @LidlGB @Morrisons @asda @rspcaassured @ASC_aqua
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) April 15, 2021
Read more via 'Scottish Scamon'.