"Anti-salmon farming activist Don Staniford will attempt to overturn a court ban on his covert visits to Mowi Scotland’s fish farms at an appeal hearing" @salmonfarming1 "A one-day hearing will be held in Parliament House on February 1" https://t.co/QGf8g5KFdf@MowiScotlandLtd
Would MOWI be getting all this publicity had they thought twice before starting a @CASECoalition SLAPP case? Plainly they think that Don is the only person worried about what they’re up to! https://t.co/xg366at1EL
Mowi is a shitty company! @Daily_Record "Whistleblower footage of Mowi's Highland hatchery showed the floor thick with fish faeces. Mowi withdrew one of its sites from an organic certification scheme after secret filming revealed lice-infested fish at its Loch Torridon site"… pic.twitter.com/GplgVfsUSj
In December last year, alongside fish activist Don Staniford, we released grim footage shared by a whistleblower working in an on-land fish hatchery operated by Mowi, the UK’s largest salmon producer @animal_equality@MowiScotlandLtdhttps://t.co/IH1Gmisa7J
Big stinky splash in today's Sunday Mail - the shit hits the fan of land based salmon farming as Mowi Scotland is exposed by a whistleblower's video footage! @MowiScotlandLtdpic.twitter.com/gzpLnybrDu
We surveyed @salmon_scottish Gigha farms a couple months ago and were using Acoustic Deterrent Devices illegally without EPS license and now trying to skip 500,000 diseased and dying fish before the Fish Health Inspectorate turn up. What definition of sustainable is this? pic.twitter.com/1XMbd4hiUx
2023 will be seen as a watershed moment: the year salmon farming died in the warming waters of Scotland. A deadly cocktail of climate change, swarms of microscopic jellyfish, toxic algal blooms & gill diseases is killing off Scottish salmon in their millions! @ScotlandSalmonpic.twitter.com/TTFUJtXGfg
Looking back on 2023, I think it will be seen as a watershed moment: the year that salmon farming died in the warming waters of Scotland. A deadly cocktail of climate change, swarms of microscopic jellyfish, toxic algal blooms and gill diseases is killing off Scottish salmon in their millions.
Increases in mortalities on salmon farms have been correlated with rising water temperatures. “At salmon farms, a strong link between milder winter temperatures, disease and increased fish mortality has been identified,” reported a ‘Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership’ paper co-authored by Marine Scotland Science and the Institute of Aquaculture in Stirling published in November 2022. “We have statistical evidence of an existing association of salmon mortality with milder winters and evidence of the emergence of amoebic gill disease in UK waters in association with warm summers and persistence with mild winters.”
Here's mortality data for October as published in December (data for November is expected to be published in early January 2024) detailed six cases - all at Bakkafrost - where jellyfish were cited:
Here's video footage of mass mortalities at Bakkafrost's Portree salmon farm:
Jellyfish are often blamed for the current mortality records. But FHI data rarely mentions - perhaps because they are just one factor impacting gill health rather than cause of death. Salmon Scotland report mentions more pic.twitter.com/8pe1WXwiG5
Unfortunately, the Intrafish article above is in Norwegian and is stuck behind a paywall but a Google Translation of other Norwegian articles helps shine a light on Norway's jellyfish nightmare. iLaks reported (18 December 2023):
“Salmon farming in Scotland is dead in the warming water," said Don Staniford, Director of $camon $cotland, in a press release (20 October 2023). "A deadly cocktail of rising temperatures, swarms of jellyfish, toxic algal blooms, plagues of parasites and gill diseases is the death knell for Scottish salmon. This lethal industry is losing so much $almoney that shareholders in Norway must be crying into the fjords. Mass mortalities are leaping so fast that salmon farming in Scotland may not even last the decade. Feedlots must be closed down now as a matter of urgency to end the welfare nightmare for millions of suffering salmon. Shame on RSPCA Assured, the Soil Association and the ASC for greenwashing Scottish salmon.”
“Salmon farming makes jellyfish worse and jellyfish kills salmon so it’s a vicious cycle where salmon farming is exacerbating this problem that’s actually a problem for themselves. They’re kind of doing themselves in – suffering from their own success. It’s a self-inflicted wound - it’s the Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”
“It’s insane. If you formed a committee to help jellyfish flourish and you white-boarded this with all the experts in the world the salmon farming system is what you’d come up with.”
“Jellyfish love warming water – you haven’t seen anything yet. They love warm water – the jellyfish go into super-amped up mode. Global warming is a dream come true for jellyfish.”
“If you want to talk about animal welfare: the acute mortalities from jellyfish are probably the kindest to the farmed salmon: shocking to the workers watching - they suffocate, but at least it’s quick. The salmon which die of Amoebic Gill Disease are in prolonged agony – you wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
“I believe there's every probability that aquaculture is making the jellyfish problem worse,” said Dr Lisa-ann Gershwin in an interview with ABC News in 2019. “We do have good data from places overseas that shows aquaculture stimulates the growth of the very organisms that cause problems for the aquaculture industry. It's a vicious cycle, where the aquaculture is making the problem worse.”
Norwegian/Faroese-owned giant Bakkafrost - the world's third largest salmon farming company - is desperately trying to shut down covert surveillance at salmon farms in Scotland following a spate of negative news articles sourced by video footage. Bakkafrost's lawyers (Shepherd & Wedderburn in Edinburgh) followed up on their legal threat last month with an 'Initial Writ' filed on 8 December:
Bakkafrost's 'Initial Writ' (8 December 2023) cited an 'incursion' in August 2023 at their salmon farm at Geasgill off the Isle of Mull with The Herald journalist Vicky Allan name-checked:
Watch video footage featuring The Herald's Vicky Allan reporting on her visit to Bakkafrost's Geasgill salmon farm:
'It's 5:30 in the morning on the Isle of Ulva...'@vicky_allan follows activists as she investigates Scotland's unfolding salmon mortality problem pic.twitter.com/kkxlVEUG8h
“Norway’s $almafia has ridden roughshod over Scotland’s environmental, welfare and safety laws for far too long,” said Don Staniford, Director of $camon $cotland. “In the absence of government enforcement and intervention, covert surveillance and citizen science is vital to ground-truth the greenwash of RSPCA Assured, the Soil Association and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council. Fighting back against SLAPPs is the cornerstone of democracy and public accountability. Norwegian-owned companies like Bakkafrost (whose largest shareholder is the Norwegian Government), Norskott Havbruk (Scottish Sea Farms) and Mowi cannot be allowed to privatise the public commons and threaten free speech. Unlike salmon pharmers, the camera never lies.”
“The Norwegian $almafia cannot be allowed to fence off whole swathes of the Scottish coast from public scrutiny,” continued Staniford who last month completed a 1,000 mile ‘End Salmon Farming’ digivan tour of the UK. “If sheep farmers in Scotland erected 15 metre fences and ‘keep out’ signs, ramblers and tourists would be outraged. Mowi’s chilling legal action – leapt on by Norskott Havbruk (Scottish Sea Farms) and Bakkafrost – is a slap in the face of Scots law and cannot be allowed to stand. Establishing no-go zones around salmon farms – including land bases – is a dangerous precedent that erodes public accountability and transparency. To dismiss other film-makers conducting covert surveillance as my ‘servants’ is an affront to free-will, independent action and journalistic integrity. The $almafia’s policy of silencing criticism (omerta) is doomed to failure and is backfiring spectacularly all over the world as consumers discover the toxic truth about salmon pharming.”
Complaint: video evidence gathered in December 2023 shows disease-ridden salmon being uplifted via a ‘mort sock’ still alive whilst Bakkafrost workers watch the unnecessary suffering & fail to intervene to ensure the welfare of @rspcaassured & @ASC_aqua animals under their care pic.twitter.com/xymwcWjnmD
Download the 26-page complaint in full online here
“They’re in a terrible state,” commented Jamie Moyes of Abolish Salmon Farming in a video report following filming the ‘zombie’ salmon. “I’ve been out since dark this morning with a torch under the water and you’ll see the footage – it’s absolutely horrific. I used to be a salmon farmer, I’m ashamed to say. It’s extremely cruel, it’s extremely unnecessary. These individuals are getting eaten alive out there. They’re suffering terribly. There was one individual in particular who was just shaking their head like a terrier with a toy – it was very distressing they were in extreme suffering, in extreme pain. We’ve got to do better than this - it’s 2023 guys. We’ve got to stop this nonsense. It’s horrific”.
Big shout out to my hero - former salmon farmer and vegan activist Jamie Moyes of Abolish Salmon Farming - who has exposed welfare abuse by Faroese/Norwegian giant Bakkafrost Scotland in Loch Carron (at @ASC_aqua & @rspcaassured certified West Strome salmon farm) @TheScotsmanpic.twitter.com/Tba7BWTbsD
The welfare and biosecurity complaints are being followed up by the relevant agencies - including the SSPCA, RSPCA Assured, APHA and Marine Scotland:
From: <[email protected]> Date: Tue, Dec 12, 2023 at 2:44 PM Subject: RE: Complaint vs Bakkafrost: breaches of welfare laws & RSPCA standards To: <[email protected]>
Dear Don,
Thank you for contacting the Scottish SPCA to raise this complaint about Bakkafrost’s operations at West Strome Salmon Farm in Lochcarron.
I can confirm I have raised this complaint with a local inspector.
Should you have any further information or evidence you wish to pass on, please contact our confidential Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999 as soon as possible. Our lines are open between 07:30 – 20:00 every day.
Please regard this as confirmation of receipt of your complaint regarding breaches of biosecurity and welfare at the West Strome Site (FS1342) operated by Bakkafrost Scotland.
Thank you for the information you have provided. The FHI will investigate the biosecurity aspect of your complaint and I have forward the complaint to APHA with regards to welfare.
Best regards
Duty Inspector
Duty Inspector, Fish Health Inspectorate, Marine Directorate
Scottish Government, Marine Laboratory, 375 Victoria Road, Aberdeen, Ab11 9DB
From: Hello RSPCA-Assured[email protected] Date: Tue, Dec 12, 2023 at 10:06 AM Subject: Re: Complaint vs Bakkafrost: breaches of welfare laws & RSPCA standards To: Don Staniford [email protected]
Thank you for your email and for sharing these concerns with us.
I will pass this information on to the relevant department now for investigation.
Abolish Salmon Farming has captured the worst ever video footage in Scotland exposing ‘zombie’ fish. Bakkafrost is the King of Death bringing unnecessary suffering, torture & cruelty to millions of salmon. Shame on @rspcaassured & @ASC_aqua for greenwashing @ScotlandSalmon! pic.twitter.com/w0geTyvBEz
Caption Competition: What is $almafia shill @TavishScott - a modern day King Canute - spluttering as the aquacalypse of warming seas, swarms of jellyfish, hordes of zombie salmon, plastic pollution, plagues of parasitic lice & toxic chemicals engulf @ScotlandSalmon? @ScottishEPApic.twitter.com/7nb4ENSHhJ
Big shout out to my hero - former salmon farmer and vegan activist Jamie Moyes of Abolish Salmon Farming - who has exposed welfare abuse by Faroese/Norwegian giant Bakkafrost Scotland in Loch Carron (at @ASC_aqua & @rspcaassured certified West Strome salmon farm) @TheScotsmanpic.twitter.com/Tba7BWTbsD
Staniford believes his investigations are firmly in the public interest and that the SLAPPs prevent him from shining a light on welfare abuse. "There's no evidence that I've caused any health and safety issues at the farms. They clearly want to muzzle me" @PrivateEyeNewspic.twitter.com/NthWB55WvX
Private Eye on the 'Kayak Kibosh': "Activist Don Staniford kayaks out to fish farms & films underwater in the salmon cages using a Go Pro camera attached to a long pole. His footage has made newspaper headlines & featured in news reports around the world" @PrivateEyeNewspic.twitter.com/pU1fk4pqmF
"Why Don Staniford Is Fighting Aquaculture" reports GEO's podcast. "When Staniford is on the move, salmon farmers' alarm bells are ringing. His weapons: a small camera, a media entourage & gentle anarchy" @geomagazinhttps://t.co/6nE7FAWP4h@MowiScotlandLtd@ScotlandSalmon
“It’s a horror show. The fish are deformed – there’s spine deformities. There’s death crowns – that’s where the lice burrow into the head of the farmed salmon. There might be zombie salmon swimming around with cuts, lesions, bits of flesh missing, fin damage. You’ve got mortalities building up belly up in the water on the top of the cage but also at the bottom. This is a mortality nightmare. It’s something out of a horror film – this is Frankenfish.”
That is a deliberate and very dangerous act. It's the most apalling seamanship and I'm contacting the MCA Office in Paisley directly about it. Somebody needs to lose their license over this and I'll do my best to ensure that happens. https://t.co/d7FccSdimN
Don Staniford: “Packham is raising a legitimate issue. The latest data from October shows the highest level of mortality in salmon farms. If their own president is raising the issue then @RSPCA_official position is untenable” @ChrisGPackham@rspcaassuredhttps://t.co/lBjraRSkIW
A row has broken out between Chris Packham and industry-body @SalmonScotland, as highlighted in @ScotParl today.
As mortality rates in Scottish salmon farms reach highest levels, calls are growing for better regulation, enforcement and a halt to the growth of the industry. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/qISqBPMuxh
Dr Iain Berrill, head of technical @ScotlandSalmon, said he was "disappointed" Packham cited "several misconceptions" they say are perpetrated by "anti-salmon activists". "The truth is that Scottish salmon farmers provide the highest welfare standards" https://t.co/gGeDOvaFqvpic.twitter.com/fuQAijJrgA
Abigail Penny @animal_equality “Unless they have been living under a rock, key industry figures will have been well aware for many years now that water temperatures are rising and that this would be detrimental to the fish they so cruelly confine” https://t.co/ywatpTNGIA
Dr Iain Berrill, head of technical @ScotlandSalmon, said he was "disappointed" Packham cited "several misconceptions" they say are perpetrated by "anti-salmon activists". "The truth is that Scottish salmon farmers provide the highest welfare standards" https://t.co/gGeDOvaFqvpic.twitter.com/fuQAijJrgA
“No amount of greenwashing will alter the fact that salmon farming is inherently unsustainable. This victory is a shot across the bow of retailers who continue to make false green claims about ‘responsibly sourced’ Scottish salmon” https://t.co/yXXerQc963@Telegraph@Selfridges
Selfridges has been told to remove misleading claims about the sustainability of farmed salmon sold in its flagship London store.
The retailer was forced to remove a promotional board from its Oxford Street fish counter this week after an intervention by Westminster City Council.
Customers had been led to believe that all farmed fish sold in the branch was “sustainable” and reared in closed-loop systems, which are usually located on land to minimise environmental impact.
The salmon, sold by Selfridges, is produce from Loch Duart, a fish farmer based in the Scottish Highlands. Its salmon has been served at Wimbledon and by celebrity chefs such as Rick Stein and Raymond Blanc.
Don Staniford, a veteran campaigner, had accused Selfridges of “deceiving” customers and pointed to a 2019 ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that Loch Duart should not promote itself as sustainable after it upheld concerns over the environmental impacts of fish farming.
Mr Staniford also highlighted that Loch Duart rears salmon in open cages located in coastal waters, leaving fish vulnerable to attacks and infection from other creatures, not contained systems as Selfridges suggested.
In a complaint lodged on Tuesday with Westminster City Council, Staniford said: “It seems clear that over four years later Selfridges and its supplier did not get the memo and enforcement action is required.”
‘Wounds, gashes and cuts consistent with seal attacks’
An environmental health officer assured Mr Staniford on Thursday that Selfridges had pulled down the board in light of his complaint.
In an email, the council official stated that Selfridges staff “are investigating the matter and have taken immediate action at my request to remove the claim”.
Mr Staniford welcomed the council’s intervention, adding: “No amount of greenwashing will alter the fact that salmon farming is inherently unsustainable. This victory is a shot across the bow of retailers who continue to make false green claims about ‘responsibly sourced’ Scottish salmon.”
In 2019, Fishy Business, an anti-fish-farming blogger, complained to the ASA that an image on Loch Duart’s website describing the company as sustainable was inaccurate because of the environmental damage caused by salmon farms.
The ASA ruled that the complaint was “valid” and asked Loch Duart to make changes. The company promised to stop claiming to be sustainable and the ASA closed the case without launching a formal investigation.
Mr Staniford said fish farming in coastal areas is not sustainable because many fish die from illness and disease. Farmed salmon can also be exposed to attacks by seals.
He claims to have uncovered mass mortalities at Loch Duart’s Reintraid salmon farm in Loch a Chairn Bhain near Kylesku in Sutherland during an investigation in August.
He alleges that video footage suggests “wounds, gashes and cuts consistent with seal attacks”.
$camon $cotland's complaints to the City of Westminster Trading Standards and Direct Seafoods London (supplier of Loch Duart salmon to Selfridges) followed visits to Selfridges's flagship London store on Oxford Street in October and November 2023. In video footage filmed on 30 October 2023 you can hear Don Staniford, Director of $camon $cotland, questioning the use of the phrase “closed-loop” systems and suggesting that it is ‘illegal’. A manager at Selfridges came over and can be heard saying “OK” when it was suggested that the marketing was a breach of trading standards.
Video footage shot on 27 November 2023 shows the issue raised once again with the fishmonger and the offending marketing sign was pointed out as a breach of trading standards.
Video footage shot on 28 November 2023 shows a Selfridges’ manager passing the buck onto Direct Seafoods. “You can contact Direct Seafoods,” says the Selfridges manager. “They’ve told us it’s OK so we’re leaving it up. Talk to our supplier. It’s fine. Contact Direct Seafoods.”
Here is video footage shot inside Selfridges (Oxford Street) on 30 October 2023 – including the fishmonger’s sign now headlined: “Sustainably Farmed” including the false claim that Selfridges armed (sic) seafood is sourced from “responsible suppliers who operated fully segregated, closed-loop systems” and the incorrect reference to “sustainable aquaculture”.
Here's $camon $cotland's complaint filed with Direct Seafoods London on 5 December 2023:
I visited Selfridges in London in October and November 2023 and am concerned that there is a breach of trading standards in terms of deceptive marketing.
You can view the misleading marketing including the words 'sustainably farmed', 'sustainable' and 'closed-loop' at Selfridge's Oxford Street store and in this video: https://vimeo.com/890222689/6be72a88c3
You will see that Selfridges has passed the buck onto Direct Seafoods instead of taking responsibility themselves and correcting the deceptive marketing.
In terms of the specific breaches of trading standards, there are two mistakes;
2) Loch Duart's salmon is farmed in open net cages in sea lochs - not in closed-loop systems. That is obvious to anyone who knows their unsustainable and lethal salmon farming operations.
Please correct your misleading marketing and ensure that Selfridges stops breaching Trading Standards.
Please consider this a formal complaint.
Thanks,
Don
Here's City of Westminster Trading Standards confirming corrective action - following a complaint filed by $camon $cotland on 5 December 2023 - with the "sustainable", "sustainably farmed" and "closed-loop" claims now removed by Selfridges:
From: Goodchild, Philip: WCC <[email protected]> Date: Thu, Dec 7, 2023 at 9:14 AM Subject: Selfridges Food Hall Concession - Sustainability Claim - Loch Duart Salmon To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Our Ref PR202312-76449
Dear Mr Staniford,
Thank your for your report in connection with the sustainability claim being made by a business concession within the Selfridges Store, Oxford St.
On receipt of your report I reviewed the material you provided, including the letter setting out the ASA’s informal agreement with Loch Duart Salmon.
I have been in touch with the technical team at the store who oversee food and consumer protection legal compliance with the numerous concessions in the store. They have confirmed they are investigating the matter and have taken immediate action at my request to remove the claim - see photograph attached.
I shall be advising the business further should it be necessary.
Thank you again for bringing this matter to my attention.
Regards
Philip Goodchild
Environmental Health Officer – Food Safety & Standards
In August 2023, The Herald's Vicky Allan saw and smelled at first hand the stench of disease-ridden Scottish salmon when she visited Bakkafrost's salmon farm at Geasgill in Loch Na Keal on the Isle of Mull:
'It's 5:30 in the morning on the Isle of Ulva...'@vicky_allan follows activists as she investigates Scotland's unfolding salmon mortality problem pic.twitter.com/kkxlVEUG8h
"With autumn being the season that tends to be the worst in terms of losses in the sector, it seems quite likely that total deaths will smash through the record-breaking nearly 17 million experienced in 2022" @vicky_allan@heraldscotland@TavishScotthttps://t.co/GnFbhozZWY
Finally added the latest figures (July, published September) into my Scottish salmon mortality graph - and the uptick in red for this year is looking dramatic. Remember 2022 was already a record-breaker. #scottishsalmon#mortalitiespic.twitter.com/vPNCxoDeyi
That red line just keeps climbing. Have put August data into my mortalities graph, plus the story on the newly published Scottish Salmon Farm Production Survey in my Herald article today https://t.co/m2tuYbexKQpic.twitter.com/AfkYKvLYXh
In February 2024, the Scottish Anti-SLAPP Summit takes place in Glasgow. Reserve tickets now online here!
Here's video footage from my talk at the UK Anti-SLAPP conference in London (28 November 2023) - chaired by Nik Williams of Index on Censorship who is organising the Scottish Anti-SLAPP Summit in Glasgow in February 2024:
Nik Williams @IndexCensorship in today's @thetimes: "A multinational fish farming company has been able to secure an interdict against an environmental campaigner preventing him from scrutinising their farms off the Scottish coast" @MowiScotlandLtdhttps://t.co/iftQ67Rdfj
Lawyers look away now or watch through white knuckles - I confess my legal strategy is based on Sean Connery's submarine captain in the Hunt for Red October. "By turning into the torpedo the captain closed the distance before it could arm itself."https://t.co/7nnK2MCWbu