Letter to Scottish Ministers on Illegal Dumping of Diseased Scottish Salmon in North Uist

 

 

Download letter to Scottish Ministers (1 July 2021) in full online here

 

 

 

When @_KateForbes visited Whiteshore Cockles was the illegal dumping of disease-ridden salmon raised? Did @marinescotland inspect the leaching cess-pit or did @ScotGovNetZero look the other way? https://t.co/wDdz2GMJ0x @cne_siar @APHAgovuk @ScottishEPA @SSPOsays @MairiGougeon https://t.co/8cA2mRSXq1 pic.twitter.com/fPkiBqGuUa

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 1, 2021

 

 

Digital Economy Minister @KateForbesMSP visited Whiteshore Cockles in North Uist earlier this week to hear how they've used digital disruption as an opportunity to diversify and thrive pic.twitter.com/nct0dhG9sw

— Scot Gov Economy (@scotgoveconomy) October 2, 2019

 

 

 

Scottish Salmon Watch wrote to Scottish Ministers this morning (1 July 2021):

 

From: Don Staniford <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Jul 1, 2021 at 10:18 AM
Subject: Letter to Scottish Ministers on Illegal Dumping of Diseased Scottish Salmon in North Uist
To: <scottish.ministers@gov.scot>, <Mairi.McAllan.msp@parliament.scot>, Gougeon M (Mairi), MSP <Mairi.Gougeon.msp@parliament.scot>, Forbes K (Kate), MSP <Kate.Forbes.msp@parliament.scot>, <GLSSResourcing@gov.scot>, <solicitor@gov.scot>
Cc: MSP <Ben.Macpherson.msp@parliament.scot>, Fergus Ewing <Fergus.Ewing.msp@scottish.parliament.uk>, MSP <Roseanna.Cunningham.msp@parliament.scot>, <Ian.Murdoch@gov.scot>, Ruskell M (Mark), MSP <Mark.Ruskell.msp@parliament.scot>, MSP <Alex.Rowley.msp@parliament.scot>, Mountain E (Edward), MSP <Edward.Mountain.msp@parliament.scot>

 

Please read a letter to Scottish re. the illegal dumping of diseased salmon at Whiteshore Cockles in North Uist - online here

 

Also online via Letter to Scottish Ministers on Illegal Dumping of Diseased Scottish Salmon in North Uist 

 

Kate Forbes visited Whiteshore Cockles in October 2019: https://twitter.com/scotgoveconomy/status/1179426159941033984

 

Scottish Salmon Watch will be visiting again later this month - Scottish Ministers and government officials are very much welcome to come along for a beach walk.  Here's the view from the beach (shot by a tourist last month): https://vimeo.com/562683501

 

Video footage shot in May 2021 is online via https://vimeo.com/554460315

 

You can read more in today's Times newspaper via The Times: "Fish graveyard ‘severely hampers’ life for islanders, officials claim" 

 

And via FOI Lifts Lid on the Stench of Scottish Salmon: Government Legal Department Target Illegal Dumping of Diseased Salmon

 

The Scottish Government's FOI disclosure on Whiteshore Cockles is online via https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202100207142/

 

It is pleasing to read in the Scottish Government's FOI disclosure that in May 2021 a Scottish Government official wrote:

 

"Policy have engaged with the Scottish Government Legal Directorate to look at legal options on how to address Whiteshore Cockles not complying. A submission is being prepared for the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands on this issue". 

 

 

When will Scottish Ministers finally take action against the illegal dumping of diseased salmon at Whiteshore Cockles? 

 

 

Thanks,

 

Don Staniford

 

Director, Scottish Salmon Watch

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Exclusive: 'Investigation' into illegal dumping of diseased salmon @cne_siar @marinescotland struggles to find any evidence of breaches of the law https://t.co/OvxPfiOiaO @salmon_scottish @LochDuartSalmon @ScottishEPA @_KateForbes @MairiMcAllan Nothing to See Here! @scotgov pic.twitter.com/U3maYRRetT

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 1, 2021

 

 

Read more via:

• FOI Lifts Lid on the Stench of Scottish Salmon: Government Legal Department Target Illegal Dumping of Diseased Salmon
• Appeal to Scottish Information re. FOI refusal by Western Isles Council on Whiteshore Cockles
• The Times: "Fish graveyard ‘severely hampers’ life for islanders, officials claim"
• Daily Mail: "Dumped into the dunes....thousands of rotten, disease ridden salmon"
• Independent: "Scottish islanders raise a stink over vast salmon graveyard"
• Video Exposes Mass Graves of Millions of Diseased Scottish Salmon
• The Times: "Islanders raise a stink over vast salmon graveyard"

 

 

 

Officials claimed there was “evidence of seepage from the side of pits” & added: “Record keeping is not great. Handwritten notes being provided” @thetimesscot https://t.co/H6pD4mg7Ye @marinescotland @MairiGougeon @MairiMcAllan @APHAgovuk @cne_siar @ScottishEPA @SSPOsays @scotgp

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 1, 2021

 

 

 

The real tragedy is the destruction of extremely sensitive land, that is internationally important, one of the last wild fringes of Europe, that people are told to respect, wrecked to save foreign companies a little money. Please wake up, @MairiGougeon and @MairiMcAllan ! https://t.co/MmVuCrr5pw

— Eòghann MacUalraig (@ewangkennedy) July 1, 2021

 

 

 

These disclosures show that the civil servants were suspicious that perhaps companies were sending morts to Lewis for burial, which while perhaps not illegal was absolutely not in keeping with the intentions of both parties when the derogation was given.

— Eòghann MacUalraig (@ewangkennedy) July 1, 2021

 

 

 

"Fish morts from all over the Western Isles and even the mainland going to the site" @scotgov "Whiteshore are taking advantage of derogation by extending their scope or range to bring in more income...it should not be a cheap disposal route" https://t.co/OvxPfiOiaO @ScottishEPA pic.twitter.com/taTsvodHMi

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 2, 2021