Bullshit Alert - watch out for shameless propaganda by salmon farmers during @mcsuk 'Great British Beach Clean' starting tomorrow #GreatBritishBeachClean
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) September 16, 2021
Picking up plastic pollution is like a dog owner picking up their own dog's shit! https://t.co/vTQirWaYJs @salmon_scottish pic.twitter.com/MoFYQpspl1
Please watch out for an increase in emissions of shameless propaganda and sheer hypocrisy from the salmon farming lobby during the Marine Conservation Society's 'Great British Beach Clean' (17-26 September 2021). Fish Farming Expert reported (26 August 2021):
Mowi's 'The Scoop' newsletter reported in August 2021:
Mowi posted on Facebook in May 2021:
However, look more closely and much of the plastic pollution cleaned up by the salmon farming industry comes from the industry itself. Just this week, locals in Ullapool reported plastic pollution from salmon farms being washed up on beaches in Wester Ross.
Why is plastic from Gael Force salmon cages polluting beaches in Wester Ross?https://t.co/Sv2ib2dEhV#Plastic #Pollution @GaelForceGroup @Jamie_m_young @scotseafarms @WesterRossSalmo @MareeToddMSP @marinescotland @TheUllapoolNews @klondyker @SaversSea @ScottishEPA @SSPOsays pic.twitter.com/mkd2K8fDfB
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) September 15, 2021
The clean up efforts of salmon farming companies is much like a dog owner picking up their own dog's shit. To be expected but not to be applauded in the media.
Spotted on our beach walk today - the piles of dog poop are collected in an old farmed salmon box. Very apt since Bakkafrost (owners of The Scottish Salmon Company) are used to dealing in complete crap! @salmon_scottish @Folketrygdfond pic.twitter.com/e6my7ikgvG
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 14, 2020
BBC News reported in January 2020:
The Ferret reported in October 2019:
Scottish Salmon Watch visited Loch Creran earlier this month and the plastic pollution was still in evidence and public enjoyment of Teithil Beach on the shore of the 'Special Area of Conservation' was still being blocked.
This is our local beach. Taken over by Gael Force Fusion. No permission needed from @marinescotland evidently. They just use it as part of their factory. pic.twitter.com/haGckTTwc2
— Andrew Holder (@andrholder) April 15, 2021
Here's video footage shot by Scottish Salmon Watch in June 2019:
And video footage from November 2018:
The scale of plastic pollution from salmon farming is staggering. Fish Farming Expert reported in December 2017:
Friends of the Earth Norway calculated that leakage of microplastic from feed pipes in a single salmon farm to be between 250 kilograms & five tonnes https://t.co/qfJ7kIHfQ5 @Naturvern
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) September 15, 2021
How much plastic pollution from salmon farms in Scotland? @SSPOsays @GaelForceGroup https://t.co/AJgB0cncjb pic.twitter.com/UtLeJv1w13
Given the scale of plastic pollution, it is therefore not surprising that the public health risks of microplastic contamination of farmed salmon have been raised. Mowi reported in March 2019:
Salmon Business reported in March 2019:
A Freedom of Information reply by Food Standards Scotland in May 2018 claimed they did not have any information on microplastic contamination of farmed salmon.
Fish Farming Expert reported in February 2019:
The Guardian reported in August 2016:
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Plastic Pollution of Scottish Beach - Theft of the Seaside by Salmon Farming