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04/29/2024

Deceptive Marketing Complaint filed Vs Wheeler Seafood's 'hand reared' Wester Ross Salmon with FTC & International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network

 

FTC complaint graphic #2

 



 

 

$camon $cotland has filed a deceptive marketing complaint against Wheeler Seafood - exclusive agent for Wester Ross Salmon in the United States - with the Federal Trade Commission and the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (a partnership of more than 65 consumer protection agencies around the world):

 



 

Read $camon $cotland's complaint dated 29 April 2024 in full online here

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Wheeler Seafood is deceptively marketing Wester Ross Salmon as 'hand reared' and 'artisinal' even though Norwegian giant Mowi has installed automated feeding machines and cameras," said Don Staniford, Director of $camon $cotland.  "Video footage shot at Ardmair salmon farm near Ullapool clearly shows a feed barge with plastic pipes automatically distributing feed at Wester Ross Salmon near Ullapool.  Unlike Wheeler Seafood, Mowi and Wester Ross Salmon, the camera never lies.  The FTC in the United States, International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network and Trading Standards in the UK must all close the net on the false marketing of Scottish salmon and stamp out fish fraud around the world.  The message to consumers is a simple one: please steer clear of all Scottish salmon, however much it is greenwashed."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE 8 May 2024:

 

 

 

 



 



 

 

Read more via:

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 



 

 

Appendix:

 

From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, Apr 29, 2024 at 9:01 AM
Subject: Complaint vs Wheeler Seafood re. Wester Ross "hand reared" Scottish salmon
To: <[email protected]>
 
Please consider this a formal complaint by $camon $cotland vs Wheeler Seafood (based in Washington state but with offices in Seattle, New York, Miami, San Francisco and Boston).
 
 
 
 
Please pass this complaint onto the relevant contacts within the FTC fish fraud department and the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network.
 
Please find enclosed below correspondence with Wheeler Seafood who has still failed to correct their deceptive marketing materials and a complaint filed last week (23 April) with Trading Standards at Highland Council in Scotland.
 
 
Deceptive online marketing by other companies operating in the United States, the UK, France and Italy have been collated via a dossier online here.
 
More details via:
 
 
Two UK-based companies have already corrected their websites:
 
 
This issue is global in nature and $camon $cotland hopes that joined-up enforcement between the FTC in the US, Trading Standards and the Competition and Markets Authority in the UK and the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network can tackle deceptive marketing of farmed salmon.  
 
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
 
Thanks,
 
Don Staniford
 
Director, $camon $cotland

 

 

 

From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, Apr 29, 2024 at 8:26 AM
Subject: FTC Complaint vs Wheeler Seafood re. Wester Ross "hand reared" Scottish salmon
To: <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>
Cc: <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>
 
Could Wheeler Seafood please correct and update their marketing and promotional materials in relation to Wester Ross Salmon?
 
Please note:
 
 
 
Video evidence showing the use of automated feeding machines at Wester Ross Salmon (Mowi) is now online via:
 
 
Read $camon $cotland's complaint dated 29 April 2024 in full online here
 
 
Best fishes,
 
Don
 
 

On Wed, Apr 24, 2024 at 7:06 AM Don Staniford <[email protected]> wrote:


---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Wed, Apr 24, 2024 at 6:23 AM
Subject: Complaint vs Wester Ross "hand reared" Scottish salmon
To: <[email protected]>
Cc: <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>


Could Wheeler Seafood please correct and update their marketing and promotional materials in relation to Wester Ross Salmon?
 
$camon $cotland filed a complaint yesterday with Trading Standards at Highland Council in Scotland with respect to the false advertising and deceptive marketing of "hand reared" by Wester Ross Salmon (taken over by Norwegian giant Mowi in June 2022):
 
 
 
Wheeler Seafood makes similarly false claims.  For example, an Instagram post in November 2023 showcases 'artisan' and 'hand reared' Wester Ross Salmon: https://www.instagram.com/wheelerseafood/p/CzorkX9Pzu8/
 
A YouTube video posted by Wheeler Seafood also showcases the now false claims that Wester Ross Salmon hand rears their fish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f5lL9CkFgw 
 
Wheeler Seafood currently promotes Wester Ross Salmon with deceptive images of hand-reared fish - including the false claims that the product is "nurtured by hand, not by machines" and that "Wester Ross salmon are fed by hand three times a day" - via https://wheelerseafood.com/fish/wester-ross/
 
Photographic evidence detailing how Wester Ross Salmon now use a feeding machine and automated feeding systems at their Ardmair salmon farm (and have applied to Highland Council for a feed barge at Corry salmon farm) are detailed via:
 
 
 
Wheeler Seafood is certainly not alone in falsely advertising Wester Ross Salmon as "hand reared" - more examples are detailed via:
 
 
 
$camon $cotland understands that in the United States the Federal Trade Commission has powers to enforce laws on advertising and marketing including unfair and deceptive trade practices: 
 
The FTC has a mandate to protect consumers from fraud and deception: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/topics/truth-advertising/protecting-consumers
 
In the case of Wester Ross Salmon - and the specific claim that the product is "hand reared" without machines - $camon $cotland believes that Wheeler Seafood is guilty of fraud and deception.
 
Please therefore correct and update your website and promotional materials accordingly to reflect the current reality at Mowi-owned Wester Ross Salmon.
 
In the hope that this matter can be resolved quickly, I have copied Wester Ross Salmon's marketing team and their owners Mowi into this email. 
 
Thanks,
 
Don Staniford
 
Director, $camon $cotland
 
 
 
 
 

Posted at 07:22 AM |

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