Bakkafrost Warned Over Biosecurity Breach in Loch Carron - thanks to video evidence from vegan activist Jamie Moyes!

The real power of surveillance by members of the public who dare to get up close and personal to disease-ridden salmon farms is illustrated by a recent Freedom of Information disclosure by the Scottish Government. Armed only with an iPhone, vegan activist Jamie Moyes - who used to work on a salmon farm - bravely exposed a biosecurity breach by The Scottish Salmon Company (renamed Bakkafrost Scotland in June 2022) at their West Strome salmon farm in Loch Carron during filming from his wee boat in September 2021.

Video footage showing biosecurity breaches at The Scottish Salmon Company (Bakkafrost Scotland) in Loch Carron.

"Large biomass mortality removal procedures allowed a breach of mortality containment" reported @scotgov

(Incriminating footage by Jamie Moyes) pic.twitter.com/w5n2eXViy2
— Salmon Scotland (@SalmonScotland) January 30, 2023

On watching the damning video footage shot by Jamie Moyes in Loch Carron, the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate Technical Manager (name redacted) emailed Scottish Government staff in September 2021: "I think the SSC [Bakkafrost Scotland] need to improve their biosecurity during mortality removal".

An email from Charles Allan (group leader of the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate at Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen) in September 2021 to another Scottish Government official (name redacted) said: "This footage is worth reviewing, regarding security of the mort recovery operation - it does highlight that there may be some loss of biosecurity".

Another email from a Scottish Government official (name redacted) to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in October 2021 referred to the video evidence shot by Jamie Moyes as "very disappointing with regard to the biosecurity of operations at the site":

"This is not acceptable," wrote Jamie Moyes in an email to SEPA in September 2021:

The Scottish Government issued a warning letter to Bakkafrost in December 2021 regarding a breach of biosecurity at their West Strome salmon farm in Loch Carron in September 2021:

Here's a copy of Bakkafrost's 'Removal and Movement of Fish Mortalities' document edited on 9 March 2022 (areas highlighted in yellow focus on the failings identified by Jamie Moyes at West Strome salmon farm):

Another - undated and unattributed document disclosed via FOI - refers to mortality removal and disposal:

Another document disclosed by the Scottish Government in February 2023 details a site specific mortality plan for Loch Carron salmon farm (dated 1 March 2022) which concedes that "due to a breach in biosecurity during the event mortality in the 2020 cycle, training has been delivered to site staff on appropriate mortality removal":

This document was further reviewed and updated on 9 March 2022:

The documents submitted above appear to have satisfied the Scottish Government who wrote to Bakkafrost on 15 March 2022 that "the breach of authorised conditions has now been resolved" but reminded Bakkafrost of their responsibilities and that they may be subject to "futher inspection and recommendations in the future":

Further information was disclosed by the Scottish Government on 28 February 2023 - including the following emails:

The Scottish Government's FOI disclosure was in reply to a FOI request filed by $camon $cotland in January 2023:

From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, Jan 30, 2023 at 8:01 AM
Subject: FOI re. breaches of biosecurity in salmon farming since 1 September 2021
To: <[email protected]>

Please provide information relating to breaches of biosecurity in salmon farming since 1 September 2021 (please include salmon farms, hatcheries, processing plants, harvesting stations, well boats, trucks and other cases/incidents involving salmon farming and farmed salmon).

For example, a Fish Health Inspectorate Visit Report dated 23 November 2021 (published online by the Scottish Government on 22 December 2022) detailed how biosecurity measures were "inadequately implemented" at The Scottish Salmon Company/Bakkafrost Scotland in Loch Carron in September 2021 with a separate letter issued "regarding this issue".

The Fish Health Inspectorate report (Case 2021-0258) detailed how biosecurity procedures had not been implemented citing how "large biomass mortality removal procedures allowed a breach of mortality containment". The report cited a "compromised brail".

Could you please therefore, as part of this FOI request, provide a copy of the letter referred to above?

Please also provide copies of any other letters relating to breaches of biosecurity in the salmon farming industry since 1 September 2021.

Please include emails, warning letters, legal information, enforcement, photos, video and any other information relating to breaches of biosecurity in the salmon farming industry since 1 September 2021.

Please consider this a formal request for information under the relevant FOI and Environmental Information regulations.

Please provide the information electronically.

Please provide a receipt.

Thanks,

Don Staniford

Director, $camon $cotland

'Case Information' uploaded by the Scottish Government on 22 December 2022 includes details an inspection in September 2021 (Case 2021-0258) of West Strome salmon farm in Loch Carron operated by The Scottish Salmon Company (renamed Bakkafrost Scotland in June 2022):

"Discussed biosecurity issues with compromised brail and improvements were indicated," stated the Fish Health Inspectorate report.

A Fish Health Inspectorate Visit Report dated 23 November 2021 detailed how biosecurity measures were "inadequately implemented" by Bakkafrost at West Strome salmon farm in Loch Carron with a separate letter issued "regarding this issue".

The Fish Health Inspectorate Visit Report dated 23 November 2021 detailed Vibrio as well as Salmon Gill Poxvirus, Neoparamoeba perurans and Paranucelospora theriodion:

In November 2021, French TV broadcast gruesome video footage shot inside Bakkafrost's West Strome salmon farm in September 2021:

Watch the video reports from Jamie Moyes shot at West Strome salmon farm in September 2021:

$camon $cotland reported in January 2023:

Earlier in September 2021, Scottish Salmon Watch submitted a welfare complaint following secret filming inside Bakkafrost's disease-ridden salmon farm at West Strome in Loch Carron - shocking video footage is available online here: