From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Wed, Nov 29, 2023 at 10:17 AM
Subject: CIWF donations from Mowi?
To: <[email protected]>
Cc: Philip Lymbery <[email protected]>, Phil Brooke <[email protected]>, Dr Nick Palmer <[email protected]>, Dr Natasha Boyland <[email protected]>
How much in donations or other financial support (e.g. brown paper envelopes) has CIWF received from Mowi?
Thanks,
Don
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <[email protected]>
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2023 at 08:47
Subject: Press release: Compassion in World Farming Launches Salmon Scorecard to Measure Welfare in Aquaculture
To: <[email protected]>
Compassion in World Farming Launches Salmon Scorecard to Measure Welfare in Aquaculture
Compassion in World Farming has launched a new Salmon Welfare Scorecard, reporting the performance of eight major salmon producers against 13 key welfare parameters.
Fish are sentient animals capable of feeling pain, stress and fear, as well as experiencing positive emotions, social bonds, and advanced intelligence. They are sensitive creatures and like many other animals, they explore, socialise, hunt and play. Yet many fish are intensively reared on farms where they are forced to live in conditions that fail to meet their basic welfare needs.
In recent years, there has been an increase in public awareness about animal welfare, sustainability, and healthy food, with many people turning to eating more fish as they decrease their red meat consumption. As the demand for seafood has soared, aquaculture has become the world’s fastest-growing food sector producing $265 billion worth of goods in 2020. Today over half the seafood we consume is farmed.[1]
More than 400 million salmon are raised globally each year, with longstanding criticism having been levelled at the industry for failing to find solid welfare-oriented solutions for addressing stocking densities, mortality rates from sea lice infestations, and the lack of mental stimuli for salmon reared in barren environments.
This new Salmon Welfare Scorecard aims to provide meaningful engagement with the salmon industry, fostering transparency across the supply chain. It will enable producers to report authoritatively on salmon welfare and provide a basis for rewarding better policy and practice; all with the aim of improving the welfare of farmed salmon.
The Scorecard has evaluated the public policies of eight salmon producers[2] in their transparent reporting of key welfare issues, which together represent more than 50% of worldwide salmon production. These are based on assessments made from publicly available company information, rated across 13 welfare parameters including stocking density, humane slaughter, sea lice infestations and mortality. Each parameter is marked independently with the resultant comparison table being based on a 5-colour scale, from red to green. (for a full explanation of the scorecard see report: https://www.ciwf.org.uk/media/7455901/salmon-welfare-scorecard-public-report-2023.pdf )
All the producers included were consulted about the Scorecard’s original findings in March 2023 and had the opportunity to improve their scores by updating any publicly available information prior to publication, as well as being offered private, dedicated meetings with Compassion’s Food Business team to discuss how to make welfare improvements.
Certain companies stood out in the Scorecard’s ratings for specific parameters. Bakkafrost was the only producer that has performed well for predator management, while MOWI and CERMAQ did so for the Key Welfare Indicator section and for their policies on Humane Slaughter. In 2022, MOWI received a Special Recognition Award from Compassion in recognition of their global policy of using a stun-kill percussive system for 100% of their salmon, across all countries, to ensure they are humanely killed. This policy is in line with Compassion’s recommendation and therefore earned MOWI the maximum score (dark green code) on the Scorecard.
While there are some examples of good practice, and engagement has driven positive change in the communication of producers such as MOWI, CERMAQ and Aquachile, the Scorecard demonstrates that there is still a long way to go. Policy reporting around transfer and transport, stocking density and enclosure (i.e., rearing system and environmental enrichment) all remain very much in the red/orange colour scale across the board. Messaging around humane slaughter is massively understated and an area where communication could be improved. Policies around sea lice are also an area of ongoing concern and that require improvement and further engagement.
Compassion in World Farming’s Global CEO, Philip Lymbery, said: “The Salmon Welfare Scorecard is a valuable tool for encouraging greater awareness, transparency and investment in higher salmon welfare. I look forward to seeing increasing progress on fish welfare as a result of engagement with this Scorecard initiative, an approach that we intend to also apply to the farming of other fish species.”
The Scorecard will be updated again next year to allow for deeper engagement over the coming months with producers and Compassion is planning to publish the next iteration in November 2024 which will include more producers. After this second edition the Salmon Welfare Scorecard will be published every two years. To see this year’s report click here: https://www.ciwf.org.uk/media/7455901/salmon-welfare-scorecard-public-report-2023.pdf
-ends-
For further information, please contact Sophie Peel at Currant Communications
on 0203 638 0323 or 07552 451264
or email: [email protected]
Notes to editors:
Compassion in World Farming is the leading international farm animal welfare charity, campaigning to improve the lives of millions of farm animals through advocacy, lobbying for legislative change, and positive engagement with the global food industry. Our established international Food Business programme aims to achieve a holistic approach to sustainable food production by driving transformational change for farm animals, reducing our reliance on animal sourced foods, and moving the food industry towards more regenerative, nature friendly farming.
www.compassioninfoodbusiness.com.
The Sunday Mail reported on 26 November 2023:
Watch video footage shot at Mowi's 'organic' and RSPCA Assured 'welfare friendly' salmon farms in Scotland during 2023:
In a press statement issued earlier this morning (29 November 2023), Don Staniford said:
"Shame on CIWF for greenwashing lethal salmon farming. Giving the green light to Mowi - a company ravaged by mass mortalities, infectious diseases and lice infestations - makes a mockery of the scorecard. CIWF have scored an embarrassing own goal. How much is the $almafia paying CIWF?"
FishyLeaks reported via a press release in February 2023:
Scottish Salmon Watch reported in March 2021:
ere's an email from Scottish Salmon Watch to Compassion In World Farming:
How can CIWF justify such a weak position based on the shocking video evidence of widespread welfare abuse at salmon farms in Scotland?
Surely CIWF should demand that all the salmon farms featured in the video footage (including RSPCA Assured sites) are immediately closed down?
Indeed, how can CIWF take a different position on sea cage salmon farming than with cage farming on land?
I am trying to find an appropriate analogy but it appears akin to a footballer dribbling past the entire defence and then with an open goal somehow fails to score. Hopefully you get the picture of a missed opportunity.
CIWF has in effect snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
It begs the question: does CIWF receive financial support from the salmon farming sector or from accreditation bodies such as RSPCA Assured who make money by promoting salmon farming?
Whatever the case - and I have huge admiration for many people working at CIWF - it does seem that CIWF have compromised their principles and position in relation to salmon farming even with shocking video evidence staring in your face.
Whilst CIWF is content to support
over 200,000 tonnes of salmon farming production and only call for an end to the reckless and runaway expansion, Scottish Salmon Watch will continue to campaign for the end of sea cage salmon farming in Scotland. Stopping salmon suffering necessarily requires stopping salmon farming completely. Full stop. Period. End of story. There can be no compromise.
Scottish Salmon Watch hopes that CIWF rethink their position on salmon farming and include sea cage salmon farming in their
campaign to ban the cage age.
I would be happy to include a reply from CIWF.
Best fishes,
Don Staniford
Director, Scottish Salmon Watch
Read more via:
Red Card for CIWF's 'Salmon Welfare Scorecard'!
Sunday Mail: "Disturbing 'zombie salmon' video at Scots fish farm sparks welfare investigation"
EXPOSED: Welfare Abuse at RSPCA Assured Wester Ross Salmon Farm
Scotland On Sunday front page splash turns up the heat on Scottish salmon!
Videos & Photos: Welfare Abuse at Wester Ross Fisheries (Mowi) in Loch Broom
Wester Ross Scamon - Photos Expose RSPCA Assured's 'Ethical' & 'Sustainable' Salmon!
Welfare failures exposed in Norwegian salmon farming - when will authorities act in Scotland?
Gruesome Photos: ‘MowiLeaks’ Blows the Whistle on RSPCA Assured Scottish Salmon!
Sunday Post: "There is something fishy about salmon on offer in the supermarket - animal welfare campaigners in warning over deformities"
Daily Record: "Salmon farms must act quickly after graphic images showing death and disease emerged"
Video Exclusive: RSPCA Assured Scottish Salmon fresh from Loch Linnhe!
Photo Horror of M&S Supplier Norskott Havbruk (Scottish Sea Farms)!
The Enforcement Problem: New report exposes how welfare abuse inside factory farms (including salmon) slips through the inspection net!
Open Letter to the RSPCA & ASC - please stop certifying Scottish salmon as "responsibly farmed"!
Video Exclusive: Secret Filming Exposes Horrific Welfare Abuse Inside RSPCA Assured Scottish Salmon Farms
Videos of Welfare Abuse at The Scottish Salmon Company in Loch Carron (West Strome salmon farm)
Breaking News: "Horror Videos Reveal Welfare Abuse Inside Scottish Salmon & Trout Cages"
Press Release: "Secret Filming Exposes Welfare Abuse at RSPCA Assured Mowi - Campaigners call for Mowi to be fined & RSPCA certification rescinded"
Secret Filming Exposes RSPCA ‘Abused’ Scottish Salmon - Welfare Complaint Filed Against M&S Supplier Scottish Sea Farms
Letter to Secretary of State re. Welfare Abuse at Scottish Salmon Farms
Whitewashing Welfare Abuse of Scottish Salmon (as sponsored via RSPCA, SSPCA & APHA)
Revealed: The Farmed Salmon Crisis
Media Backgrounder: The Welfare Nightmare of Scottish Salmon (Updated)
Covid measures ‘didn’t affect farmed salmon welfare’ claim Marine Scotland Science (who were not allowed to inspect farms for half of 2020)!
Ongoing welfare abuse & unnecessary suffering on salmon farms - why no prosecutions?
RSPCA Suspend Salmon Farm Inspections
Censored: Welfare Abuse on Salmon Farms
Photo Dossier of Diseased, Deformed & Abused Scottish Salmon
Welfare Abuse on Scottish Salmon Farms - Legal Action Vs Scottish Ministers & Salmon Farming Companies
Welfare Abuse at Scottish Salmon Farms - Why No Legal Enforcement Or Prosecutions?
Legal Complaint Vs Breaches of Animal Health & Welfare (Scotland) Act
