Read a letter from Scottish Salmon Watch to Scottish Ministers (10 June 2020) online here
In October 2019, Scottish Salmon Watch published video footage of a Thermolicer operating at an RSPCA Assured Mowi salmon farm in Loch Leven.
Video Exclusive: drone footage of farmed fish being heated in a 'Thermolicer'. The Scottish salmon you see in supermarkets don't leap up waterfalls - they're crammed in lice-infested cages & then tortured in a cruel washing machine! https://t.co/tA2mlStYy4@MowiScotlandLtd
Data for mass mortality events officially reported by salmon farms to the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate (published online on 4 August 2021) should leave consumers of "responsibly sourced" RSPCA Assured salmon sick to the stomach - in the month of June alone there were 45 'Mortality Event Reports' detailing over 230,000 dead salmon with nearly 118,000 reported in a single incident due to "lack of oxygen" at Mowi's RSPCA Assured Inchmore hatchery (the same site where 500,000 farmed salmon died in 2018 from oxygen starvation).
Inside Scottish Salmon Feedlots reveals the shocking death rates on Scotland's salmon farms! "There are huge questions for @rspcaassured" says Corin Smith Grieg Seafood tops the list with 78% mortality - that's four out of every five salmon dying!https://t.co/oO6wWCqTQBpic.twitter.com/tGvGEZNiaA
Mowi Scotland: "will be forced to take further action unless you co-operate with its requests & desist from further unauthorised access....no choice but to take steps to protect the Company’s Sites, and its rights in relation thereto, through the courts" https://t.co/TRIgbdBz1qpic.twitter.com/PNZpWmva3f
"Importing ova from Norway – and even Iceland and Ireland – is like playing a risky game of ecological roulette with deadly diseases, viruses and pathogens. Scottish Ministers must urgently close the borders to infectious diseases and viruses" https://t.co/9dKV8bzlZU@scotgovpic.twitter.com/0mwSNCRhPn
Scottish Sea Farms admits: "as we’ve heard a lot over the last year or so, viruses can mutate and occasionally the harmless form of ISA virus mutates into a pathogenic form which will cause the disease" https://t.co/Ga1RsQJJzO@scotseafarms@LeroySeafood@salmonfarming1
The head vet at Scottish Sea Farms (& chair of @SSPCA_Kirsteen) admits: "as we’ve heard a lot over the last year or so, viruses can mutate & occasionally the harmless form of ISA virus mutates into a pathogenic form which will cause the disease" https://t.co/Ga1RsQJJzO#ISA
The sheer arrogance of Dr Ralph Bickerdike, head of fish welfare at SSF, insisting that this was seal damage at Loch Spelve. Don't insult our intelligence Ralph. pic.twitter.com/80NU6VA8iC
The scientific risk is all too real: "ISAV-HPR0 represents a reservoir and risk factor for the emergence of ISA disease" https://t.co/9dKV8bzlZU "an increased susceptibility of a salmon production site may introduce risk of a primary ISA outbreak" https://t.co/pgHR0isI1tpic.twitter.com/uId54duJos
Your claim that seals not infectious diseases, viruses, pathogens & bacteria were to blame for the mass mortalities & welfare abuse is way beyond absurd https://t.co/uLPdACYBTr
Scottish Sea Farms admits: "as we’ve heard a lot over the last year or so, viruses can mutate and occasionally the harmless form of ISA virus mutates into a pathogenic form which will cause the disease" https://t.co/Ga1RsQJJzO@scotseafarms@LeroySeafood@salmonfarming1
"Importing ova from Norway – and even Iceland and Ireland – is like playing a risky game of ecological roulette with deadly diseases, viruses and pathogens. Scottish Ministers must urgently close the borders to infectious diseases and viruses" https://t.co/9dKV8bzlZU@scotgovpic.twitter.com/0mwSNCRhPn
Doubt if even low stocking densities will safeguard against this. Bickerdyke and Soutar are your typical aloof industry men. How the latter became chair of @ScottishSPCA is baffling. He’s like the Harold Shipman of veterinary medicine. SSF have enormous mortality issues.
The Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate's report (Case # 2021-0132) for the RSPCA Assured salmon farm operated by Scottish Sea Farms at Dalnaha in Loch Spelve on the Isle of Mull details welfare abuse (including deformed fins and deformed spines), infectious diseases and viruses as well as the use of toxic chemicals, mass mortalities and lice infestation:
Download the 'Case Information' report as a PDF online here (scroll down to page 78 for the start of the Loch Spelve FHI inspection report)
Mortality information published by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate for the Loch Spelve salmon farm details mass mortalities ca. 20,000 fish during 2020 - with 'Mortality Event Reports' filed in June (twice) and March (data up to 3 August 2021):
The sheer arrogance of Dr Ralph Bickerdike, head of fish welfare at SSF, insisting that this was seal damage at Loch Spelve. Don't insult our intelligence Ralph. pic.twitter.com/80NU6VA8iC
The scientific risk is all too real: "ISAV-HPR0 represents a reservoir and risk factor for the emergence of ISA disease" https://t.co/9dKV8bzlZU "an increased susceptibility of a salmon production site may introduce risk of a primary ISA outbreak" https://t.co/pgHR0isI1tpic.twitter.com/uId54duJos
Photos of dead salmon belly up on the surface of a farm in Iceland https://t.co/xxmozhpBmm "It has taken them up to one and half hour to pump up dead fish from each net pen, this needs to be stopped right away" says Veiga Grétarsdóttir of 'Against the Current Iceland' #Icelandpic.twitter.com/pw18FwoILJ
Please note that the Chilean newspaper reported on Friday (18 June 2021) on the Scottish Government's support for the use of the banned neonicotinoid Imidacloprid - dubbed 'Novichok for insects' - in salmon farming in Scotland:
The article in the newspaper Interferencia includes:
Annabel Turpie, directora de Marine Scotland – agencia gubernamental escocesa encargada de las pesqueras– explica que “ayudaremos a colaborar con SEPA (Agencia de Protección Ambiental de Escocia) y MSS (Marine Scotland Science) en la tecnología CleanTreat”.
Turpie asegura estar "consciente de que la intención es que CleanTreat se presente en la segunda mitad del año, asumiendo la aprobación regulatoria", habiendo una “expectativa” de que Benchmark, la empresa noruega que arribó a Chile en 2020 y fabricante de CleanTreat, llevara el sistema a un sitio existente “para su aprobación”. Más adelante, la directora de Marine Scotland indicó que la tecnología de la empresa recibiría una “bienvenida consideración”.
Turpie, catalogó de “vergonzoso” el lobby ejercido por la representante del gobierno escocés. “La directora de Marine Scotland fue sorprendida haciendo lobby no para el medioambiente marino, sino para el uso de un neonicotinoide peligroso para aguas escocesas”.
Scottish Salmon Watch also reported last week (17 June 2021) on how the Norwegian Government's Directorate of Fisheries had supported clinical field trials of D-10 Aquatic Blast (Imidacloprid) at two salmon farms in Norway. FOI requests filed with various Norwegian Government agencies and salmon farming companies (who are subject to the Environmental Information Act in Norway) cited an email from a Member of the Scottish Parliament (the sender's name was redacted but it is understood to be sent by Fergus Ewing who is seen bullying/lobbying for the use of Imidacloprid in Scottish waters):
Salmon farmers in Scotland are bracing themselves for a Titanic-sized headache in the shape of a new film narrated by Kate Winslet. 'Eating Our Way to Extinction' features the disaster that is Scottish salmon farming and is coming to cinemas next month!
COMING SOON ‘Eating Our Way to Extinction’ Narrated by Kate Winslet, take you on a cinematic journey and open your eyes to arguably one of the single greatest challenges that humanity faces in this time. Visit the website link to find out more.#eating2extinction#eowtepic.twitter.com/aTsJIvhUlo
Scottish Salmon Watch is calling on the Scottish Government to close down every salmon farm in Scotland!
"Salmon farming is a malignant cancer on the coasts of Scotland," said Don Staniford, Director of Scottish Salmon Watch. "If the Scottish Government is serious about protecting the marine environment then ripping out every salmon cage is a good place to start. The new SNP-Green deal commits to 'Highly Protected Marine Areas' for inshore and offshore locations, which will cover at least 10% of Scottish waters where salmon farming will be prohibited. The SNP-Green co-operation agreement recognises that a transitional 'phasing-out' period within HPMAs will be needed and we urge that all sea cage salmon farms in Scotland are closed down by 2025 as it already taking place in British Columbia. The Scottish Government's plans to double salmon farming production by 2030 are dead in the water."
"The 'Scottish' salmon farming industry - 99% of which is foreign owned/controlled - claims that their marine footprint is currently just 168 hectares (less than 200 football pitches), that's 0.003% of Scottish territorial waters," continued Staniford who features in the forthcoming film 'Eating Our Way to Extinction' narrated by Kate Winslet. "Farming disease-ridden salmon in 'Special Areas of Conservation' and 'Marine Protected Areas' such as Lochs Creran, Alsh, Duich, Laxford and Roag is anathema to marine protection. Does Scotland want unhealthy salmon farms choking the life out of the coast or a healthy marine ecosystem which supports tourism and a sustainable marine economy?"
Did you know? The marine footprint of the Scottish salmon sector is just 168 hectares (less than 200 football pitches), that's 0.003% of Scottish territorial waters. (For comparison 144,899 hectares in the UK are used for growing potatoes). https://t.co/DjfYC8mADmpic.twitter.com/feoDhhYlqw
— Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (@SSPOsays) March 22, 2021
"The Agreement commits to a 'step change' in marine protection including a new category of 'Highly Protected Marine Areas' which will cover at least 10% of Scottish waters" within which "there will be no permitted aquaculture of any kind" @scotgp@theSNPhttps://t.co/ZX9fy1qqtspic.twitter.com/TrVwkfoa3A
Download the Scottish Government and Scottish Green Party co-operation agreement online here
The document includes:
And:
The latest survey of salmon farms - published by the Scottish Government in October 2020 - reveals that there were 226 salmon farms in 2019 (80 were 'inactive' i.e. zero production) with only six companies (all foreign owned/controlled) accounting for 99% of 'Scottish' salmon farming production:
"Closing down every salmon farm littering the coast of Scotland would help halt the spread of lice infestation, the killing of marine mammals and toxic pollution as well as allow marine wildlife such as wild salmon, sea trout, harbour porpoises, whales, dolphins and shellfish the space to thrive," concluded Staniford who appears in Netflix's global hit 'Seaspiracy'. "Tourists visiting Scotland do not want to see and smell the nauseating underbelly of Scottish salmon!"
"Salmon farming is a malignant cancer on the coasts of Scotland. Does Scotland want unhealthy salmon farms choking the life out of the coast or a healthy marine ecosystem which supports tourism and a sustainable marine economy?" https://t.co/A0uRlkYvCOpic.twitter.com/Gun7S7RNzw
Benchmark wants "to support a more sustainable aquaculture industry & create a future where no chemicals are applied directly to the sea" https://t.co/S1viPigd8o What quantity of toxic chemicals are currently discharged directly by salmon farms in Scotland? @SSPOsays@ScottishEPA
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency told a firm wanting to start using a bee-killing chemical at fish farms to mark correspondence “confidential”— so that it wouldn’t have to be released in response to freedom of information requests. #FOIhttps://t.co/hIclBVFKop
Inside Scottish Salmon Feedlots reveals the shocking death rates on Scotland's salmon farms! "There are huge questions for @rspcaassured" says Corin Smith Grieg Seafood tops the list with 78% mortality - that's four out of every five salmon dying!https://t.co/oO6wWCqTQBpic.twitter.com/tGvGEZNiaA
Corin Smith continued via a press release (2 August 2021):
"There are huge questions for RSPCA Assured, a charity based in England who continue a blanket commercial endorsement for virtually all farmed salmon originating from feedlots in Scotland, including from those feedlots with exceptionally high mortality.
In 2018 two committees of the Scottish Parliament found that mortality on salmon farms was too high. But it seems the largely Norwegian owned open cage salmon feedlot industry in Scotland has been unwilling or unable to do anything about it. The Scottish Government have failed to bring forward any policies or measures that have reduced the unacceptably high mortality rates, found uniquely on Scottish salmon farms."