RSPCA Assured "now investigating" welfare abuse at Scottish Sea Farms in the Sound of Mull & Loch Creran!

RSPCA Assured "now investigating" welfare abuse at Scottish Sea Farms in the Sound of Mull & Loch Creran! @rspcaassured @scotseafarms @LeroySeafood @marksandspencer @APHAgovuk @marinescotland @ScotlandSalmon @ScottishSPCA @RSPCA_official @MairiGougeon https://t.co/argWfS87Kh pic.twitter.com/VrfKJsFiyM
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 14, 2022

RSPCA Assured (who rake in over half a million pounds each year from certifying Scottish salmon as welfare friendly) is "now investigating" a welfare complaint filed by $camon $cotland against RSPCA Assured Scottish Sea Farms on Monday (11 July). Here's an email from yesterday morning from Liam Kurzeja (head of marketing at the RSPCA Assured 'gold standard' for "ethical food"):

From: Hello <[email protected]> [Sent by [email protected]]
Date: Wed, Jul 13, 2022 at 11:51 AM
Subject: Re: Welfare Complaint vs Scottish Sea Farms in Sound of Mull & Loch Creran
To: Don Staniford <[email protected]>

Dear Don

Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention.

We are now investigating this matter.

Thank you

RSPCA Assured

The Faces of Scottish Salmon Feb 2020 #7 RSPCA

RSPCA Assured's Rebecca Lenik (Senior Public Relations Manager who can be contacted via the RSPCA Assured press office on 01403 286374) confirmed to $camon $cotland that all four Scottish Sea Farms sites (Fuinary, Fishnish B, Scallastle Bay and Creran A) were accredited via RSPCA Assured:

From: Hello <[email protected]> [Sent by [email protected]]
Date: Thu, Jul 14, 2022 at 2:12 PM
Subject: Re: Welfare Complaint vs Scottish Sea Farms in Sound of Mull & Loch Creran
To: Don Staniford <[email protected]>

Hi Don,

Yes, all four sites are RSPCA Assured certified.

Many thanks

RSPCA Assured

Shock Horror! RSPCA Assured confirms that all four salmon farms exposed as lice-infested & disease-ridden via secret filming @scotseafarms cages in the Sound of Mull & Loch Creran are certified as the welfare 'gold standard' @rspcaassured https://t.co/argWfSpIBP @RSPCA_official pic.twitter.com/BsPMrIvtdV
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 15, 2022

Here's previous correspondence on the welfare complaint filed on Monday (11 July) at Scottish Sea Farms in the Sound of Mull and Loch Creran:

Will the RSPCA be taking action in response to the welfare complaint filed yesterday against RSPCA Assured Scottish Sea Farms (Norskott Havbruk)?

The welfare complaint can be downloaded in full via Welfare Complaint vs Scottish Sea Farms in Sound of Mull & Loch Creran 11 July 2022

The secret filming was conducted by $camon $cotland from 3rd to 8th July 2022 at four RSPCA Assured Scottish Sea Farms sites in the Sound of Mull (Fiunary, Scallastle Bay and Fishnish B) and Loch Creran (Creran A). Six site visits were carried out early in the morning and late in the evening (outside working hours) as well as drone surveillance. Video material and photos - sourced from the video footage - has been assembled via:

Video Exclusive: Secret Filming Exposes Horrific Welfare Abuse Inside RSPCA Assured Scottish Salmon Farms

Photos of Welfare Abuse at RSPCA Assured Scottish Sea Farms

The gruesome video footage provides clear evidence of ongoing welfare abuse, lice infestation, mortalities and infectious diseases at Scottish Sea Farms and follows filming by Compassion in World Farming in late 2020 (published in March 2021) which is believed to include some of the same RSPCA Assured salmon farms operated by Scottish Sea Farms in the Sound of Mull and Loch Creran.

$camon $cotland is of the view that RSPCA Assured Scottish Sea Farms is guilty of ongoing breaches of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 with respect to ‘Unnecessary Suffering’ (Section 19) and ‘Ensuring Welfare of Animals’ (Section 24).

Reacting to the latest video footage published yesterday, Edie Bowles, Solicitor, Advocates for Animals said:

“Farmed fish are owed a duty of care and the protection from unnecessary suffering under animal welfare law. The findings in this most recent investigation suggest that these legal requirements are not being adequately enforced and that fish are suffering as a result. One of the issues in Scotland is that the industry has largely been able to self regulate, it is of fundamental importance that official bodies uphold their responsibility to ensure that the welfare protections afforded to farmed fish are being followed.”

I have raised this issue today via Twitter:

https://twitter.com/TheGAAIA/status/1546728479500165120

https://twitter.com/TheGAAIA/status/1546733961992339457

$camon $cotland appreciates that there may be complicated jurisdictional issues in play in terms of the Scottish SSPCA's role in Scotland. However, the conflict of interest at work with the outgoing Chairperson of the SSPCA (Dr Ronnie Soutar) working as chief veterinarian for Scottish Sea Farms raises serious red flags:

Fish vet appointed chair of Scottish SPCA

Not to mention the vested interest of RSPCA Assured raking in over half a million pounds each year via the certification of salmon farms in Scotland:

Rest Assured - the RSPCA has been captured, co-opted & corrupted by the Salmafia

"RSPCA Assured investigating Mowi welfare complaints"

RSPCA Sponsored Welfare Abuse of Salmon Farms - A Guide to Getting Away with Mass Murder (Theriocide)!

RSPCA Suspends Spelve Salmon Farm & 'Urgently Investigates' M&S Supplier Scottish Sea Farms!

Sunday Times: "RSPCA paid over £500,000 to back Scottish salmon industry"

Sunday Times: "Scientist hits out at RSPCA for backing Scottish salmon farms"

Or APHA failing to police salmon farms in Scotland with the necessary scrutiny and surveillance required to monitor welfare or enforce welfare legislation (CIWF's undercover investigation in late 2020, for example, filmed at more salmon farms in a three month period than APHA 'inspected' in a six year period!):

Letter to Secretary of State re. Welfare Abuse at Scottish Salmon Farms

Whitewashing Welfare Abuse of Scottish Salmon (as sponsored via RSPCA, SSPCA & APHA)

Censored: Welfare Abuse on Salmon Farms

At least the prospect of the Scottish Veterinary Service replacing APHA offers a glimmer of hope for the millions of farmed salmon suffering inside cages across Scotland:

Closing the Net on Welfare Abuse on Salmon Farms - Scottish Veterinary Service replaces APHA

Scottish Salmon Watch (renamed $camon $cotland in February 2022) raised many of these issues in a letter to the RSPCA back in February 2020:

Letter to the RSPCA - Please Stop Certifying Scottish Salmon!

Suffice to say that the RSPCA's continued support for salmon farming in Scotland - and profiteering via RSPCA Assured - must surely end. If the RSPCA cannot step in to end the torture and unnecessary suffering of millions of farmed salmon at lice-infested salmon farms across Scotland then who can?

And if the RSPCA cannot physically step in to inspect salmon farms in Scotland then will you support the installation of CCTV surveillance to monitor welfare abuse? Animal Equality and other groups have already called for the installation of CCTV in farmed fish slaughterhouses following shocking video evidence of welfare abuse captured inside The Scottish Salmon Company.

As I said in $camon $cotland's press release issued yesterday:

"Lice infestation is literally eating Scottish salmon alive with the King of Fish suffering intolerable cruelty via death crowns, flesh wounds, mouth rot and fin damage. This is the worst case of welfare abuse I’ve captured at over 30 salmon farms I’ve filmed inside since 2018. CCTV should now be installed in all salmon farms in Scotland to stop further welfare abuse. The Go Pro camera never lies – unlike salmon pharmers."

If the RSPCA can intervene to ground-truth the shameless greenwashing and white-washing away welfare abuse by RSPCA Assured it would be much appreciated.

Please pass this request onto the RSPCA's Board of Trustees as well as the RSPCA's patrons, vice-presidents and celebrity supporters. William Wilberforce, one of the founding members of the RSPCA, would be turning in his grave if he knew how millions of farmed salmon each year were dying cruel deaths inside filthy feedlots (over 10 million alone at RSPCA Assured Mowi since 2019).

How many more millions of Atlantic salmon need to suffer inside salmon cages across Scotland before the RSPCA stop cashing the £500,000+ cheque from salmon farming companies each year?

Thanks,

Don Staniford

Director, $camon $cotland

Please consider this a formal complaint against Scottish Sea Farms (Norskott Havbruk) for breaches of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 with respect to ‘Unnecessary Suffering’ (Section 19) and ‘Ensuring Welfare of Animals’ (Section 24). Video evidence shot inside four salmon farms in the Sound of Mull (Fiunary, Fishnish B and Scallastle Bay) and in Loch Creran (Creran A) between 3^rd and 8^th July 2022 presents damning evidence of welfare abuse, lice infestation, infectious diseases and mass mortalities:

Welfare Complaint vs Scottish Sea Farms in Sound of Mull & Loch Creran 11 July 2022

The welfare complaint is also attached as a PDF.

Green Around the Gills

Disease-ridden salmon farming is a sickness spreading all over the globe!

07/14/2022

RSPCA Assured "now investigating" welfare abuse at Scottish Sea Farms in the Sound of Mull & Loch Creran!

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