Organic Scamon: Ocado Challenged Over Mowi's 'Responsibly' Farmed Salmon - 100% Bullshit not 100% Scottish! @Ocado @MowiScotlandLtd @SoilAssociation @SoilAssocScot @TheGrocer @JoannaBlythman @ScotlandSalmon @SalmonTroutCons @ASA_UK pic.twitter.com/dQDGh1JbAo
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 3, 2022
Ocado - the online supermarket - is being challenged by Scamon Scotland to prove the green credentials of Mowi's "responsible" Scottish salmon which is certified by the Soil Association as 'organic'.
The Grocer reported yesterday (2 February 2022) on Ocado's "commitment to sustainability" in an article promoting Mowi's 'organic' Scottish salmon (even though a class action lawsuit settled by Mowi for $1.3 million last year in the United States prevented the use of "sustainably sourced" marketing of Mowi's salmon):
Scamon Scotland today (3 February 2022) asked Ocado to substantiate their advertising and marketing claims over 'Mowi Organic Salmon Fillets' and 'Mowi Organic Smoked Salmon' on sale online:
Ocado's 'Product Information' used to promote the 'beautiful' Scottish salmon claims that "MOWI Organic salmon fillets are 100% Scottish and raised responsibly in the cool, clear coastal waters off the West of Scotland". Ocado further claims that Mowi 'organic' salmon is "independently and regularly audited to ensure a responsible use of the environment":
Ocado is also advertising and marketing "responsibly sourced" 'BigFish Organic' salmon fillets for online shoppers (although there is a Union Jack flag with the 'produced with pride' tagline it is not known if this product is Scottish, Irish or even Norwegian - indeed the lack of country of origin labelling is a breach of the law):
Sainsbury's also advertises and markets - falsely in the view of Scamon Scotland - 'organic' Scottish salmon as "in harmony with nature" and "responsibly sourced" via online shopping:
In November 2021, Scottish Salmon Watch filed complaints against supermarkets - including Sainsbury's - for breaches of advertising and trading standards over claims of "responsibly sourced" and "responsibly farmed" Scottish salmon (including products sourced from Mowi Scotland).
Irresponsibly Farmed Scottish Salmon - Complaints Filed Vs Supermarkets with Advertising & Trading Standards! @ASA_UK @CMAgovUK @TSScot @NTSscamsteam @wirraltsd @CEC_TS @GlasgowCC @SalmonScotland @ScotlandSalmon @Ecohustler @animal_concern @ClientEarth https://t.co/XjkuDA7WsB pic.twitter.com/d4dp6VURvU
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 22, 2021
Mowi's "responsibly farmed" Scottish salmon sold by @tesco & @sainsburys is subject of a complaint filed by campaigners with advertising & trading standards @ASA_UK @CMAgovUK @TSScot @SSC_seafood https://t.co/XjkuDA7WsB
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 22, 2021
Scottish salmon is irresponsibly farmed! @ScotlandSalmon pic.twitter.com/PzmQeFu5D3
Last month, The Pished Fish deleted their advertising and marketing claims of "sustainable" Scottish salmon following a complaint by Scottish Salmon Watch:
Winner winner - "sustainable" salmon dinner is now off the menu! https://t.co/pUToWdTlYP
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) January 19, 2022
Following an intervention by Scottish Salmon Watch, claims of "sustainably sourced" Scottish salmon marketed by The Pished Fish have been deleted! @MowiScotlandLtd @LochDuartSalmon @ASA_UK pic.twitter.com/0o9KTVday5
Scamon Alert! The Pished Fish claims to source "Scottish salmon from the best sustainable producers" https://t.co/XMyIs471Ju @waitrose @Selfridges @Fortnums @BillingsgateCoL
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) January 17, 2022
How can fish sourced @MowiScotlandLtd @salmon_scottish @LochDuartSalmon @scotseafarms be 'sustainable'? pic.twitter.com/YIbh2Q4rsp
Last month (6 January 2021) Scottish Salmon Watch wrote to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council asking that their "farmed responsibly" certification be withdrawn from all Scottish salmon farms (all operated by Mowi).
Open letter to the ASC: Please cancel all certification of Mowi's toxic Scottish salmon! https://t.co/N9MwDaN0kQ @ASC_aqua @MowiScotlandLtd @fms_scotland @SalmonTroutCons
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) January 6, 2022
Scottish salmon is farmed irresponsibly not responsibly! @rspcaassured @ASA_UK @sainsburys @Tesco @LidlGB pic.twitter.com/3L76as7mTY
In April 2019, salmon farming company Loch Duart was forced to drop the word 'Sustainable' from their marketing materials after a ruling from the Advertising Standards Authority.
It seems Mowi's 'organic' status at their lice-infested Loch Harport site is under threat too. A post on Facebook yesterday (2 February 2022) linked to an article in Salmon Business headlined "Mowi salmon farm stripped of organic status":
If you click on the Salmon Business article link, however, it says the article is no longer available:
An article posted on The Fish Site yesterday (2 February 2022) - and swiftly pulled down - named the Mowi salmon farm losing 'organic' status as Loch Harport:
Has organic certification for @MowiScotlandLtd been withdrawn by @SoilAssociation for their lice-infested Loch Harport salmon farm? @SoilAssocScot https://t.co/OJK52PoSgB
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 4, 2022
Salmon Business reported this morning (3 February 2022) on Ocado's new 'organic' Scottish salmon with Mowi's Head of Sales claiming that Mowi and Ocado had a "mutual interest in sustainability":
Toxic Scottish Salmon - Chemical Use Doubles Since 2018! https://t.co/TAE9KRYcZv @ScottishEPA @ScotlandSalmon @marinescotland @MowiScotlandLtd @salmon_scottish @scotseafarms @GriegShetland @kamesfishfarm @vmdgovuk @MairiMcAllan @ASC_aqua @rspcaassured @sainsburys @Tesco @LidlGB pic.twitter.com/4CUyGTHUUU
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) January 25, 2022
Data published online via 'Scotland's Aquaculture' shows the scale of toxic chemical use on salmon farms acrosss Scotland. Since January 2018 (data up to September 2018) there have been 198 doses of Deltamethrin (a lobster-killing chemical with a lethal range of up to 39km!), 669 doses of the organophosphate Azamethiphos (another chemical shown by peer-reviewed science to kill shellfish) and a staggering 868 doses of Emamectin benzoate (shown by SEPA scientists to be a crustacean-killer). Here's the highest reported monthly uses of Deltamethrin and Azamethiphos since January 2018 (data up to September 2021) with Mowi's 'organic' salmon farm at MacLeans Nose and in Loch Harport (Portnalong) featuring prominently:
Th escalating use of toxic chemicals blows out of the water claims of 'organic' and "responsible" salmon farming. Mowi's 'organic' salmon farm at MacLeans Nose salmon farm in Loch Sunart used more Azamethiphos, Deltamethrin and Emamectin in the first nine months of 2021 (21,391 grams) compared to the whole of 2020 and 2019 combined (19,849 grams):
Mowi is a Toxic Brand - how can @MowiScotlandLtd market itself as "responsibly farmed" @Tesco @sainsburys @LidlGB @AldiUK when it uses a lethal cocktail toxic chemicals which kill shellfish & marine life under salmon farms? @rspcaassured @Folketrygdfond @ScotlandSalmon @ASA_UK pic.twitter.com/JD6istzdST
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) January 25, 2022
Mowi's Pure Bullshit (#1 in a regular series): "hardly any chemical treatments at all" https://t.co/1HZq7f4tcs@MowiScotlandLtd @PtmurtonG @ASC_aqua @BBCScotland @ScotlandSalmon @rspcaassured #GrandToursOfScotland #MowiBullshit #Mowi pic.twitter.com/EsW4Qhci2n
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 3, 2022
Open letter to the ASC: Please cancel all certification of Mowi's toxic Scottish salmon! https://t.co/N9MwDaN0kQ @ASC_aqua @MowiScotlandLtd @fms_scotland @SalmonTroutCons
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) January 6, 2022
Scottish salmon is farmed irresponsibly not responsibly! @rspcaassured @ASA_UK @sainsburys @Tesco @LidlGB pic.twitter.com/3L76as7mTY
Lousy Scottish Salmon - check out which farms have the highest lice-infestation. Loch Duart top the September chart (i.e. worst) racking up an 'enforcement notice' @marinescotland @LochDuartSalmon with @MowiScotlandLtd @salmon_scottish & @GriegShetland https://t.co/sepjr13xkD pic.twitter.com/OEhZqmOmuI
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 18, 2021
Please ban Deltamethrin use by Scottish salmon pharmers! @ScottishEPA https://t.co/X81m8zYm5c
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 24, 2021
Over 2,000 doses of the lobster-killing chemical have been used by salmon farms in Scotland since 2008!@ScotlandMowi @salmon_scottish @kamesfishfarm @scotseafarms @GriegShetland @scotgp pic.twitter.com/TgagUNSJVa
Peer-reviewed scientific research has reported that Deltamethrin is acutely toxic to shellfish. Alphamax is the trade name for the toxic chemical Deltamethrin - shown by peer-reviewed science to be lethal to shellfish and labelled by the chemical manufacturer as a 'Marine Pollutant'. An article - "The impact of anti-sea lice pesticides, azamethiphos and deltamethrin, on European lobster (Homarus gammarus) larvae in the Norwegian marine environment" - published in scientific journal Environmental Pollution in September 2020 reported:
The Institute of Marine Research in Bergen, Norway, reported in September 2020:
"Dangerous doses of Deltamethrin typically drifted between 5 & 15 km. In rare cases, the anti-sea lice agent could travel 20-30 kilometres before it was sufficiently diluted to pose no risk to lobster larvae" https://t.co/oqcZ7yEH0f @Havforskningen @SoilAssocScot @SoilAssociation pic.twitter.com/Qif2FaZneo
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 21, 2021
I love all things Irish but why is Mowi importing 'organic' salmon smolts from Altan in Ireland to on-grow on Skye as 'Scottish' salmon? Were the smolts quarantined? https://t.co/jeTujWIArt
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 7, 2021
I read that Mowi breached their licence in Lough Altan in 2019 https://t.co/9p6iXdECr0 pic.twitter.com/zF7SR3D9Ed
'Case Information' slipped out by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate revealed that the origin of Mowi's '100% Scottish' organic salmon was 100% Irish (and the ova - salmon eggs - used to source the smolts may well have originally been imported from Iceland or Norway).
EXPOSED: 'Scottish' Salmon's Import/Export Trade in Ova, Smolts & 'Cleaner Fish' @ScotlandSalmon
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) January 15, 2022
As the world closes borders to prevent the spread of #COVID19 why have millions of ova flooded into #Scotland from ISA-ridden #Iceland, #Ireland & #Norway? https://t.co/0CFJz9EkPO pic.twitter.com/sMs8JzwbiU
Which salmon farming companies are importing potentially virus-laden smolts from Ireland?
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 8, 2021
Is the 3 month quarantine period - as stipulated @SSPOsays Code of Good Practice - being followed? @MowiScotlandLtd @GriegShetland @salmon_scottishhttps://t.co/mxg7I0HuHP @marinescotland pic.twitter.com/FlOjWqXWV8
Toxic Salmon Corrodes Soil Association's 'Organic' Principles - will anyone stand up against the use of the toxic chemical Deltamethrin? @SoilAssociation @ClarenceHouse @dimbleby_jd @Charlotcostume @SoilAssocScot @HelenBOrganic @JoannaBlythman @peterk69 https://t.co/jHzIfvAo6t pic.twitter.com/tyEhGRWtuk
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 20, 2021
The scam that is 'organic' Scottish salmon - aka 'Organic Scamon' - has almost trebled in a year: increasing from 4,462 tonnes of 'organic' salmon reported in 2019 to 12,528 tonnes in 2020. That's a leap of 181% in a single year! https://t.co/VdswDPek3E @SoilAssociation pic.twitter.com/U6A3Isa3Hv
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 8, 2021
The scam that is 'organic' Scottish salmon - aka 'organic scamon' - has almost trebled in a year: increasing from 4,462 tonnes of 'organic' salmon reported in 2019 to 12,528 tonnes in 2020. That's a leap of 181% in a single year! The 'Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey 2020' - published by the Scottish Government on 30 September 2021 - details:
How can you seriously promote 'organic' salmon as "healthy" when it is 19% fat? That's fattier than pizza! https://t.co/s7itnIaTTL@sainsburys @SainsburysNews @SoilAssocScot @SoilAssociation @rspcaassured @ScotlandMowi @MowiScotlandLtd @SSPOsays @FSScot @JulieHL @tavishscott pic.twitter.com/i94h1kvCMw
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 3, 2021
National Geographic reported in September 2021:
National Geographic: “It’s a toxic industry” says Don Staniford, director of the environmental activism group Scottish Salmon Watch, who regularly sneaks onto Scottish salmon farms, including some owned by Mowi, to record video of dead and dying salmon" https://t.co/McmY9IY6nM pic.twitter.com/yJrTarmFG2
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) September 24, 2021
Looking forward to more honest advertising by Mowi following their class action lawsuit settlement which outlaws "sustainably sourced" & "all natural" marketing messages @DucktrapRiver @mowisalmon_us https://t.co/Kvw5DI49iy@MowiCanadaWest @ScotlandMowi @TheCounter @natlawreview pic.twitter.com/mFC5c3d5Gr
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 22, 2021
Fish Farming Expert reported (19 March 2021):
Intrafish reported (18 March 2021):
Intrafish's Drew Cherry wrote (18 March 2021):
"The salmon farming giant may have inadvertently opened up the floodgates for similar suits....As part of the settlement, for a period of 2 years Mowi will be forbidden from using the term 'sustainably sourced'" @drewcherry @IntraFishNorge @DucktrapRiver https://t.co/Kvw5DI49iy pic.twitter.com/vW52hPdf2E
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 22, 2021
Scamon Scotland submitted a complaint earlier this morning with Ocado.
Before filing a formal complaint with Trading and Advertising Standards, could Ocado please provide specific details to substantiate your claims about Mowi's 'Organic' Smoked Salmon marketed online via:
Ocado claims under 'Product Information' that Mowi's 'organic' salmon is "independently and regularly audited to ensure a responsible use of the environment".
Scamon Scotland understands that the Scottish Environment Protection Agency no longer conducts environmental monitoring surveys or audits of salmon farms - please read:
https://theferret.scot/fish-farm-pollution-rules-relaxed-brexit/
https://theferret.scot/environmental-rules-salmon-farming-relaxed/
In fact, there is no published data on environmental monitoring surveys since March 2020:
http://aquaculture.scotland.gov.uk/data/environmental_monitoring_surveys.aspx
And there is no published data on environmental surveys for chemical residues under salmon farms since July 2020: http://aquaculture.scotland.gov.uk/data/sealice_in_feed_treatment_residues.aspx
If Ocado is referring to RSPCA, ASC or Soil Association audits these are not independent as they are industry schemes which are no more than greenwashing the toxic salmon farming industry:
https://donstaniford.typepad.com/my-blog/2021/07/rspca-compromised-by-cash-industry-bias.html
Ocado's claim that Mowi's organic salmon is "100% Scottish" is undermined by the fact that ca. 90% of 'Scottish' salmon is sourced from ova (eggs) imported from Iceland, Ireland and Norway and the fact that Mowi imports smolts from Ireland to on-grow on 'organic' salmon farms at Sconser and Harport on the Isle of Skye.
The suggestion by Ocado that Mowi's 'organic' Scottish salmon are "raised responsibly" is simply not true and demands clear evidence from Ocado to back up the green claims.
The implication is that Ocado's Mowi 'organic' Scottish salmon is environmentally friendly and sustainable (as detailed in yesterday's Grocer article: https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/new-product-development/premium-salmon-brand-mowi-launches-organic-lines-on-ocado/664095.article). However, the claim of sustainability for Scottish salmon is unfounded and was debased by a ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority back in 2019: https://theferret.scot/loch-duart-sustainable-advertising/
And just last year in the United States, Mowi settled a class action lawsuit which stopped the marketing of "sustainably sourced" Mowi salmon for 2 years: https://donstaniford.typepad.com/my-blog/2021/03/mowi-settles-class-action-lawsuit-for-13-million-.html
Just last month, online Scottish salmon retailer The Pished Fish deleted their "sustainable" claims following a complaint by Scottish Salmon Watch: https://donstaniford.typepad.com/my-blog/2022/01/scamon-alert-the-pished-fish-challenged-over-sustainably-sourced-scottish-salmon.html
In November 2021, Mowi's "responsibly farmed" Scottish salmon (as sold via Tesco and Sainsbury's) was the subject of complaints filed with Trading and Advertising Standards:
Further background is detailed via a blog published this morning via:
"Organic Scamon: Ocado Challenged Over Mowi's 'Organic' Credentials - 100% Bullshit not 100% Scottish!": https://donstaniford.typepad.com/my-blog/2022/02/organic-scamon-ocado-challenged-over-mowis-organic-credentials-.html
Please respond within 7 days or Scamon Scotland will file formal complaints with Trading and Advertising Standards.
Thanks,
Don Staniford
Director, Scamon Scotland
Here's an automated reply from Ocado:
From: Ocado Customer Services <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, Feb 3, 2022 at 11:33 AM
Subject: RE: I'd like to make a complaint REF: ##32274402##
To: <[email protected]>
Hello,
Thanks for getting in touch with Ocado.
This is an automated message to confirm we have received your email and we’ll do our best to get back to you within 24 hours.
If you have any additional information that you think will help us to assist you, please feel free to reply to this email.
Best wishes,
Ocado Customer Service team
Date: Thu, Feb 3, 2022 at 7:17 PM
Subject: RE: I'd like to make a complaint REF: ##32274402##
To: <[email protected]>
Hello,
Thank you for your reply, your email is on its way to our team of advisors. We’ll do our best to get back in touch within 24 hours.
Best wishes,
Ocado Customer Service Team
Chat & Help ocado.com/contactus | Tweet @ocado | facebook.com/ocado
Date: Sat, Feb 5, 2022 at 10:53 AM
Subject: RE: I'd like to make a complaint REF: ##32274402##
To: <[email protected]>
Good morning Mr Staniford,
I just wanted to let you know I haven't forgotten about this - I'm still waiting for a response from our team.
If I haven't heard anything by Monday I will chase this up for you.
If there's anything else I can do in the meantime, just let me know.
Kind regards,
Emily Lonsdale
Ocado Customer Service Team
Has organic certification for @MowiScotlandLtd been withdrawn by @SoilAssociation for their lice-infested Loch Harport salmon farm? @SoilAssocScot https://t.co/OJK52PoSgB
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 4, 2022
Date: Mon, Feb 7, 2022 at 11:59 AM
Subject: RE: I'd like to make a complaint REF: ##32274402##
To: <[email protected]>
Good afternoon Mr Staniford,
I hope this email finds you well.
I have received the following statement from our team:
Hi there. Thank you for getting in touch and making us aware of your concerns. Having investigated together with the supplier, we can confirm that all organic salmon from Mowi is sourced from farms that are fully accredited by the Soil Association. Rest assured, we have very high standards for all our suppliers when it comes to the welfare of animals. If you have any specific queries relating to Mowi products, we'd suggest you contact them directly. Many thanks.
I hope this satisfies your query. If there's anything else I can do for you, please let me know.
Kind regards,
Emily Lonsdale
Ocado Customer Service Team
ocado.com/contactus | 0345 656 1234 | @ocado | facebook.com/ocado
Please include reference number ##32274402## in all email correspondence.
Date: Mon, Feb 7, 2022 at 12:52 PM
Subject: Re: I'd like to make a complaint REF: ##32274402##
To: Ocado Customer Services <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, Feb 8, 2022 at 10:22 AM
Subject: Re: I'd like to make a complaint REF: ##32274402##
To: Ocado Customer Services <[email protected]>
Revealed: Mowi's "100% Scottish" Salmon Imported from Ireland! @MowiScotlandLtd
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 8, 2022
100% 'Organic' Bullshit! @SoilAssociation @SoilAssocScot @Ocado @ASA_UK @CMAgovUK @TheGrocer @JoannaBlythman https://t.co/OodTP3UEB5 pic.twitter.com/LTPYJ8hM0t
Read more via:
Mowi's Pure Bullshit (#1 in a regular series): "hardly any chemical treatments at all"
Victory: The Pished Fish Sobers Up to False Claims Over "Sustainable" Scottish Salmon!
Scamon Alert: The Pished Fish Challenged Over "Sustainably Sourced" Scottish Salmon
Bullshit Called on M&S's "Responsibly Sourced" Scottish Salmon!
Media Backgrounder: Irresponsibly Farmed Scottish Salmon
Telegraph: "Cop26 organisers roasted for serving ‘environmentally unfriendly’ salmon"
Scottish 'Organic' Scamon Leaps 181% - 4,462 tonnes to 12,528 tonnes from 2019 to 2020!
National Geographic: "Why you might not be getting the salmon you paid for"
'Organic' Salmon Fit for the Queen? Not Even Fit for Her Dogs!
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
Toxic Salmon Corrodes Soil Association's 'Organic' Principles
Scottish salmon is so not organic!
Organic Salmon Belongs in the Bin Not Your Shopping Basket!
Norwegian Government Asked to Divest from 'Unethical' & 'Irresponsible' Scottish Salmon!
Dutch TV slams "organic" salmon
EXPOSED: Scottish 'Organic' Scamon
Organic” farmed salmon – let’s get real
Loch Duart drops "sustainable" claim after advertising ruling
Organic Scamon - The Greenwashing of Toxic Farmed Salmon
Why organic salmon is causing a nasty smell
Concern over organic salmon farms
"Organically Farmed Salmon Is An Oxymoron" (The Organic Standard, 2001)
Victory: The Pished Fish deletes "sustainably sourced" Scottish salmon claim on their website following a complaint https://t.co/pUToWdTlYP
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) January 19, 2022
Please delete Scottish salmon from your online shopping basket! @SalmonScotland @ScotlandSalmon @SalmonTroutCons @ciwf @onekindtweet pic.twitter.com/DVKEvlJZNZ