Scottish Ministers have egg on their faces - is it game ova for imports of salmon eggs from Iceland & Norway due to Infectious Salmon Anaemia? @scotgov @_KateForbes @MairiGougeon
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 30, 2021
Is @MairiGougeon heading for an 'Eggwina' Currie moment? @Edwina_Currie https://t.co/1rek4wPz2v pic.twitter.com/BZVbWjQcNN
Scottish Ministers have egg all over their faces when it comes to salmon in Scotland - especially when you take a closer look at how much 'Scottish' salmon is actually sourced from foreign salmon eggs (ova) imported from Norway, Iceland and Ireland.
Scottish Scamon Eggsposé: FOI data @scotgov reveals 787 million ova imported from #Norway (62%), #Ireland (19%) & #Iceland (18%) for use on salmon farms in #Scotland since 2003!
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 29, 2021
'Scottish' salmon is a fake brand! @SalmonScotland
@ScotlandSalmon @SalmonTroutCons @MairiMcAllan pic.twitter.com/DLZhfAjYmq
When Scottish Minister Mairi Gougeon officially opened the new Holywood Breeding Centre in Dumfries in September 2021, Marine Scotland Tweeted her smiling face.
Earlier today @MairiGougeon officially opened the new Holywood Breeding Centre in Dumfries.
— Marine Scotland (@marinescotland) September 29, 2021
The new centre will support highly skilled aquaculture jobs and help Scotland reduce its reliance on ova imports as well as improving market security ⬇️https://t.co/dgjTfBvbqO pic.twitter.com/1DQiddtSLL
Look morely closely, however, and it's not a pretty sight at all with tens of millions of foreign ova - 787 million since 2003 and 323 million since 2016 - flooding into 'Scottish' salmon farms every year (not surprising since 99% of 'Scottish' salmon farming is controlled by just six companies - all foreign owned). There's certainly nothing for the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands to be happy about. When Scottish Salmon Watch visited AquaGen's Holywood salmon hatchery in 2019 we exposed a Norwegian-spawned horror story lurking behind 'Scottish' salmon.
Salmon Business reported (29 September 2021):
Dig deeper and the veneer of "elite" 'Scottish' salmon flakes off very quickly.
Data published by the Scottish Government via FOI reveals that AquaGen's Holywood hatchery (formerly owned by Scottish Sea Farms) is fuelled by ova imported from Norway. Since 1 January 2016, AquaGen has imported 33.5 million ova from Norway via 47 shipments to the Holywood hatchery, Cooke Aquaculture, Scottish Sea Farms, Loch Duart, Kames, The Scottish Salmon Company, Marine Harvest (Mowi) and Landcatch (Hendrix):
The 'elite broodstock' owes its origins to Norway not Scotland. Scottish Salmon Watch reported in August 2020:
Norwegian Salmon Ova Slip Back Into Scotland (as Infectious Salmon Anaemia plagues salmon farms in Norway) https://t.co/MAShiQlkpw @GreenerScotland @marinescotland @APHAgovuk @DefraGovUK @InfoMattilsynet @FergusEwingMSP @HGSalmonUK @EWNutritionGmbH @WeAreBenchmark @scotseafarms pic.twitter.com/BtzuLNd79Y
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) August 26, 2020
The press release dated 25 August 2020 included:
So when Fish Farmer reported in July 2020 that AquaGen's ova were "Scotland born and bred" it must be taken with a large pinch of salt.
Similarly, when The Fish Site reported in October 2021 on "Scotch Eggs" the ova in question were far from Scottish.
Scottish Salmon Watch reported in October 2020:
"Norwegian interests risk bringing the whole rotten edifice of 'Scottish Salmon' crashing down" warns @HGSalmonUK to @Feorlean & @FergusEwingMSP https://t.co/7leCLZarz1 @GAA_Advocate @salmonfarming1 @IntraFishNorge @thefishsite @Salmon_Business @GreenerScotland @fiskeridir pic.twitter.com/79CBueZzXB
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 1, 2020
Scottish Ministers warned by @HGSalmonUK in 2019 of "an absurdly flawed bio-security self certification policy that risks the import of further Norwegian disease, a threat capable of destroying Scotland's entire salmon industry" @Feorlean @FergusEwingMSP https://t.co/7leCLZs2qz pic.twitter.com/6UjKur22K2
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 1, 2020
Ironically, Mairi Gougeon's visit to AquaGen's Holywood hatchery in September 2021 was delayed due to Covid-19 restrictions. Fish Farming Expert reported (29 September 2021):
So whilst the rest of the world closes their borders to stop the spread of infectious diseases and viruses, Scottish Ministers are content to keep the borders open to potentially virus-laden ova with zero screening for ISA and Piscine Reovirus!
#COVID19 has taught us that closing borders is vital in stemming the spread of infectious diseases, viruses & pathogens https://t.co/MAShiQlkpw Salmon farms using imported eggs should be quarantined until they can prove they're free of deadly viruses! @GreenerScotland #ISA #PRV pic.twitter.com/2pazJ07x9U
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) August 26, 2020
In April 2020 @GreenerScotland admitted that imported salmon eggs (ova) are not tested for Infectious Salmon Anaemia or Piscine Reovirus https://t.co/pllpGndiXN Is 'Scottish' salmon infected with deadly viruses? @DefraGovUK @marinescotland @FergusEwingMSP @strathearnrose @scotgp https://t.co/mFWoXWy7Eq pic.twitter.com/ZLDlLGUBoS
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) August 20, 2020
Mairi Gougeon's predecessor Fergus Ewing - known as the 'Minister for the Promotion of Norwegian Salmon Farming' for his shameless lobbying in support of foreign-owned fish farming - was a champion of AquaGen's Holywood hatchery which he claimed helped "to improve the security of Scotland's ova supply". A press release issued by AquaGen in March 2019 also referred to "eggs from locally-grown broodstock" without mentioning the fact that they were sourced from Norway!
Fish Farmer reported in February 2020:
Fish Farming Expert reported in October 2021 that Mowi - which has imported ova from Ireland, Norway and Iceland - was launching a "Scottish breeding programme" with the first egg production in 2024/25:
Yet Norwegian-owned Mowi has imported 39.6 million ova via 22 shipments from Norway, Iceland and the Republic of Ireland since it changed their name from Marine Harvest (due to what their CEO admitted was "negative consumer perception") in January 2019 (data up to the end of February 2021)!
Go back beyond 2019 and you'll see that Mowi's 'Scottish' salmon was made in Norway not Scotland - with 53.9 million ova imported from Norway from 2016 to 2018 via 28 shipments from AquaGen Norway and Marine Harvest Norway:
Covert filming inside Mowi's salmon farms in July 2021 revealed the true nature of 'Scottish' salmon:
Secret Filming Exposes Welfare Abuse at RSPCA Assured Mowi - Campaigners call for Mowi to be fined & RSPCA certification rescinded! https://t.co/dhVFllDjXX@rspcaassured @MowiScotlandLtd @marinescotland @APHAgovuk @MairiGougeon @SSPCA_Kirsteen pic.twitter.com/jzo2fi13xK
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 20, 2021
Despite such shocking video evidence - gathered at salmon farms across Scotland operated by Mowi, The Scottish Salmon Company and Scottish Sea Farms - Scottish Ministers still shamefully support 'Scottish' salmon farming.
The Scottish Government recreated the infamous John Gummer BSE burger photo op when Scottish Ministers Fergus Ewing and Kate Forbes ate Mowi salmon back in August 2019.
Given the controversy over imports of salmon eggs (ova), Scottish Ministers may find themselves embroiled in an Edwina Currie moment (she was nicknamed 'Eggwina' when she said in 1988 that "most of the egg production in this country, sadly, is now affected with salmonella").
A press release issued by Scottish Salmon Watch in August 2020 cited a FOI disclosure by the Scottish Government on salmon eggs (ova) dated 7 August 2020:
Strangely, the Scottish Government's FOI disclosure - posted online in September 2020 - has now been deleted:
When I clicked on the files today (30 November 2021) here's what came up:
Thankfully, Scottish Salmon Watch saved the Scottish Government's FOI disclosure - read in full online here. Here's more details:
"We need to head off the accusations of disease in Icelandic eggs though suggest we don't address the accusation directly" said @scotgov @marinescotland @ScotGovNetZero employee in February 2020. Now that ISA is reported in Iceland will you be banning ova imports? @MairiGougeon pic.twitter.com/Wibvt32wnY
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 29, 2021
Another FOI disclosure by the Scottish Government in August 2021 suggests that Hendrix Genetics (owners of Landcatch) is now looking into importing ova from Norway and Chile (after warning in 2019 that "Norwegian interests risk bringing down the whole rotten edifice of 'Scottish' salmon"):
The disease risks of importing ova are all too real. The Seattle Times reported in May 2018:
The Seattle Times reported in December 2018:
Salmon Business reported in December 2018:
"PRV @cookeseafood may have originated from the ova delivered from #Iceland" admitted @WeAreBenchmark (Stofnfiskur) in 2018. "We have, however, an optional service of screening against PRV that our customers may choose as an extra risk measure to avoid vertical transmission" pic.twitter.com/OJvKdZdPyd
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 30, 2021
In June 2019, Scottish Salmon Watch reported that that testing by Marine Scotland Science in 2018 and 2019 found Piscine Reovirus in over 50% of farmed salmon tested.
Isn't it ironic...don't you think. A little too ironic...and, yeah, I really do think...It's like salmon farmers exploiting the Coronavirus crisis when over 50% of farmed salmon tested positive for a virus https://t.co/8Z8lYMIv2p @marinescotland @SSPOsays #alanismorissette pic.twitter.com/eQDxDZYezs
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 13, 2020
The suspicion that Infectious Salmon Anaemia is also lurking undetected and untested on salmon farms was heightened in August 2021 with news of a positive test for ISA virus at Scottish Sea Farms in Loch Spelve on the Isle of Mull (a salmon farm also embroiled in the 1998/9 ISA crisis which cost £100 million).
Infectious Salmon Anaemia comes back to haunt Scottish salmon - positive test reported by @marinescotland @rspcaassured @scotseafarms on Isle of Mull. Buy your fresh virus-laden Scottish salmon @marksandspencer - how many more farms are infected? @MowiScotlandLtd @salmon_scottish pic.twitter.com/JUjMS335xa
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) August 30, 2021
From data disclosed by the Scottish Government via FOI we know that the Barcaldine Smolt Unit has imported ova from AquaGen in Norway, Mowi Ireland and Stofnfiskur in Iceland in 18 shipments since November 2018 totalling 23.4 million.
Now it seems that Infectious Salmon Anaemia has been detected at Laxar - a Norwegian-owned company using ova from Stofnfiskur (rebranded Benchmark Genetics Iceland in January 2021):
First ever cases of Infectious Salmon Anaemia in #Iceland @icelandreview https://t.co/LyAtBe6XM8 @EFTAsecretariat @WeAreBenchmark
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 29, 2021
Norwegian-owned Laxar - hit by Infectious Salmon Anaemia in #Iceland - sources salmon eggs (ova) from Stofnfiskur (Benchmark) @WeAreBenchmark
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 29, 2021
Since 2016, 'Scottish' salmon farms have imported 110.6 million ova from Stofnfiskur (Benchmark). Will @scotgov now close the border? pic.twitter.com/xOJO5tuUv2
Stofnfiskur in Iceland has been the source company importing 103.8 million ova in 93 shipments since 1 January 2016 according to FOI data disclosed by the Scottish Government with recent imports leaping due to Norway's ova import ban due to ISA. Here's the most recent shipments - how many ova were infected with ISA, PRV or other viruses, diseases and pathogens?
Stofnfiskur is owned by Benchmark which is controlled by Norwegian tobacco billionaire Johan Andresen via Ferd and Kverva (largest shareholder in SalMar which co-owns Scottish Sea Farms). Salmon Business reported yesterday (29 November 2021):
Despite the obvious biosecurity and genetic risks, Scottish Salmon Watch revealed last week (19 November 2021) that Mowi was importing fish from Ireland for on-growing in Loch Ness as well as Norwegian companies exporting farmed wrasse from Mowi in Scotland:
Is Scottish salmon still 'Scottish' if it is sourced from imported fish from Ireland? @MowiScotlandLtd @SalmonScotland @ScotlandSalmon @FishtheNess@ChrisDNessDSFB @fms_scotland @AST_Salmon @SalmonTroutCons @marinescotland https://t.co/Yvt4OcFz3R pic.twitter.com/TJpvoxDtiu
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 26, 2021
Why is Norway importing millions of wrasse from Scotland @MowiScotlandLtd when a report in 2019 by the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food & Environment @VKMmatogmiljo identified genetic & disease risks? @fiskeridir @InfoMattilsynet @kldep https://t.co/Yvt4OcFz3R pic.twitter.com/sWGXIUP4a7
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 26, 2021
When will Scottish Ministers listen to common sense and close the borders?
Now that pathogenic Infectious Salmon Anaemia is suspected in Iceland will Scotland close the border to ova imports to stop the risk of disease transfer? @MairiGougeon @marinescotland @ScotlandSalmon @WeAreBenchmark @fms_scotland @SalmonTroutCons https://t.co/3d7SGEVAb5 https://t.co/HMxIA5pCD8
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 26, 2021
Scottish Salmon Watch is calling on Scottish Ministers to close the borders to imports of salmon ova. In view of the disease risks it should be game over to imports from Iceland, Norway and Ireland!
"The @scotgov must immediately stop all imports of salmon eggs (ova) to prevent the spread of deadly Infectious Salmon Anaemia. Importing ova from countries with disease risks such as Norway and Iceland is a recipe for ruin" https://t.co/IadbzTUbD9 @ScotlandSalmon @DefraGovUK pic.twitter.com/xbvseP1rPF
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 27, 2021
Whilst the rest of the world closes their borders to stop the spread of infectious diseases & viruses, @scotgov is content to keep the borders open to potentially virus-laden ova with zero screening for ISA & Piscine Reovirus! https://t.co/1rek4wPz2v @MairiGougeon @MairiMcAllan pic.twitter.com/kOKROAloBi
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 30, 2021
Read more via:
Press Statement: Ban All Ova Imports to Protect 'Scottish' Salmon!
ISA in Iceland - will Scotland ban ova imports to prevent disease risks as with Norway?
Wild Scottish salmon stocks have DNA from escaped farm fish, study shows
Breaking News: ISA reported at RSPCA Assured Scottish Sea Farms on the Isle of Mull
Letter to Scottish Ministers re. ISA in Scottish Salmon
Media Backgrounder: Scottish Salmon’s Recurring ISA Nightmare
Media Backgrounder: Norway’s Infectious Salmon Aquacalypse – Going Global Since 1984!
Massive Attack on "Rotten Edifice" of 'Scottish' Salmon
Norway's Infectious Salmon "Horror Show" Secretly Playing Now In Scotland?
'Scottish' salmon resumes imports of "ISA-free" eggs from Norway?
Letter to Scottish Ministers: "Bio-security Protocols & Safety Precautions re. Ova Imports"
The Ferret: "Imports of Norwegian salmon eggs banned over deadly virus"
Norwegian Salmon Egg Exports Banned Due to Disease Risks
Game Ova for Scottish Salmon - Deadly disease delays egg imports from AquaGen in Norway
Deadly virus outbreak prompted fears over import of fish farm eggs to Scotland
Mail On Sunday: "90% of Scottish salmon 'ISN'T' from Scotland' - 66m eggs shipped in from abroad"
Salmon Eggsclusive: Scotland's 'King of Fish' is Now Viking Not Scottish!
Easter Egg Ban for 'Scottish' Salmon?
The Ferret: "Deadly virus outbreak prompted fears over import of fish farm eggs to Scotland"
Game Ova for Scottish Salmon - Deadly disease delays egg imports from AquaGen in Norway
Concerns raised over Scottish salmon roe imports
Government 'failing to protect Scottish salmon'
Imported eggs ruling 'makes a mockery of Scottish salmon'
Norway keeps ban on import of Scottish roe
Tartan imposters’ charge as fish egg imports hit 90%
Fish farms are ‘wiping out Scotland’s wild salmon’
'Norwegian' genes found in wild salmon populations in Wester Ross
Scottish Scamon Eggsposé: FOI data @scotgov reveals 787 million ova imported from #Norway (62%), #Ireland (19%) & #Iceland (18%) for use on salmon farms in #Scotland since 2003!
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 29, 2021
'Scottish' salmon is a fake brand! @SalmonScotland
@ScotlandSalmon @SalmonTroutCons @MairiMcAllan pic.twitter.com/DLZhfAjYmq