The Killers!

Cecil the Seal Killers Named & Shamed in Scotland!

Here's a press release issued today (30 August 2015) by the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture:

"Cecil the Seal Killers Named & Shamed in Scotland - Call for Boycott of 'Seal Unfriendly' Scottish Salmon"

Landmark Rulings on Seal-Killing Salmon Farms

This afternoon (Tuesday 7 July 2015), the Scottish Information Commissioner (SIC) will publish two key decisions on seal-killing salmon farms (access online here). Today's rulings are expected to either force the Scottish Government to re-publish data identifying salmon farms killing seals or reveal a dramatic u-turn by the SIC in allowing the names of salmon farms killing seals to be hidden from public view.

"Today's decisions are landmark rulings," said Don Staniford, Director of the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture. "If the Scottish Government is forced yet again to disclose the names of the trigger-happy salmon farms killing seals then the public will be able to boycott seal-unfriendly Scottish salmon. If the Scottish Information Commissioner rules in favour of non-disclosure then it will send the shameful signal that Scottish salmon farmers can get away with murder. Either way, consumers eating lethal Scottish salmon have blood on their hands. Better be seal-safe than sorry and boycott all Scottish salmon - even RSPCA 'Freedom Food' and ASC-certified farmed salmon which shockingly sanction the slaughter of seals."

The decisions follow repeated Freedom of Information (FOI) requests by the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture (GAAIA) since April 2012 asking the Scottish Government to name individual salmon farms killing seals. Despite rulings by the Scottish Information Commissioner in 2012 and 2013 forcing disclosure, the Scottish Government stopped publishing site specific quarterly data in 2014 claiming in August 2014 a "significant risk of accidental injury to campaigners if they seek to get between licenced seal shooters and seals".

According to official Scottish Government figures (excluding 2015 since no data has been published), salmon farms in Scotland have killed 634 seals since 2011. An analysis of the data by GAAIA in 2013 revealed that Hjaltland (Grieg Seafood), Scottish Sea Farms (Leroy/Salmar), Marine Harvest and the Scottish Salmon Company were the most lethal. Over half (52%) of the 215 active salmon farms in Scotland killed at least one seal. The deadliest salmon farm was Hjaltland's Lax Firth site in Shetland with 18 dead seals followed a Scottish Sea Farms site in Veantrow Bay in Orkney with 14 dead seals.

The senseless slaughter of seals around the Scottish coast is coming under increasing public scrutiny with alarming video footage shot by Sea Shepherd making waves in the media last month (see/read: "WATCH: Shocking moment marksman shoots dead seal in cold blood"). Police Scotland has also been caught in the crossfire as the 'seal-shooting war' has recently escalated (read "Seal-shooting wars: reports sent to Fiscal").

"Next time you’re at the checkout, how do you know that the salmon in your basket isn’t essentially drenched in seal blood?" said actor Martin Shaw in an interview with The Sunday Times in May 2013. "The best thing you can do to end this bloodshed is to simply boycott this intensive and cruel industry."

"When you buy Scottish salmon you pay for bullets to shoot seals," said John Robins, Secretary to the Save Our Seals Fund in a press release in May 2013.

"Scottish salmon farming is a serial seal killer which needs to be named and shamed," continued Staniford. "Whatever the decision today, GAAIA will be writing once again to the U.S. Government reiterating the call to ban imports of all farmed salmon sourced from seal-killing salmon farms. Under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act it appears illegal for consumers in the United States to buy salmon from farms where seals have been shot. Given that the U.S. is the biggest export market for Scottish farmed salmon it is not surprising that the Scottish salmon farming industry has been busy lobbying the Scottish Government against disclosure. Sadly, the majority of consumers are unaware that both the RSPCA's 'Freedom Food' and the WWF/Aquaculture Stewardship Council's salmon certification scheme shamefully permit the killing of seals. The sure-fire message to consumers is simple: Scottish salmon is farmed and dangerous."

Brief Case History:

In a landmark ruling in November 2012 the Scottish Information Commissioner forced the Scottish Government to disclose the names of salmon farms in Scotland killing seals (read news via "Government ordered to reveal secret seal shooters"). However, in December 2012 the Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation (SSPO) lobbied that disclosure would "have a direct impact on the safety of their employees and on the market success of their products" (read news via "U-turn on naming fish farms that shoot seals"). Here's the letter (obtained via FOI) in full:

The Scottish Government successfully delayed disclosure until another SIC ruling in April 2013 (read a SIC "Press Statement on the enforcement of Decision 193/2012"). Finally, in May 2013 the Scottish Government was forced to publish the names of salmon farms killing seals (download site specific seal killing data for 2011, 2012 and 2013 online here).

Despite the SIC's previous rulings, the Scottish Government back-tracked and stopped publishing site specific data on seal-killing salmon farms during the first half of 2014. In a FOI refusal letter in August 2014, the Scottish Government claimed a "significant risk of accidental injury to campaigners if they seek to get between licenced seal shooters and seals" and cited "recent evidence about harassment, intimidation and threats made to company staff and their family members by specific campaigners".

In August 2014, GAAIA asked the Scottish Government for a formal review arguing that Marine Scotland had reneged on the previous SIC ruling (read news via "End Secrecy Over Seal Deaths"). In September 2014, GAAIA filed an appeal with the Scottish Information Commissioner. "I repeat GAAIA's position that disclosure of the salmon farm sites killing seals is in the public interest and consumers have a right to know about the provenance of the salmon that they are buying," wrote Don Staniford. "Surely the public have a right to know which sites are killing seals and make an informed decision about the salmon they are buying?"

Since September 2014, both GAAIA and the Scottish Government has submitted further written evidence. GAAIA has also filed other FOI requests with Police Scotland and the Scottish Government. Read more details via GAAIA's 'Media Backgrounder: Sealed Scottish Salmon'.

Download press release with photos in full via: "Landmark Rulings on Seal-Killing Salmon Farms- Scottish Information Commissioner to publish decisions this afternoon"

P&J: "Call for data on seal deaths"

The Press & Journal reported (25 August):

Read the online version via "Salmon campaigner wants latest data on seal killings"

Read a press release: "Scottish Salmon's Secret Seal Killers! - FOI refusal prompts call for boycott of farmed salmon"

Read GAAIA's request for a review (21 August) following the Scottish Government's refusal to disclose the names of seal killing salmon farms - online here

Sunday Times: "End the secrecy over seal deaths"

The Sunday Times reported (24 August):

Download as a PDF online here

Read a press release: "Scottish Salmon's Secret Seal Killers! - FOI refusal prompts call for boycott of farmed salmon"

Read GAAIA's request for a review (21 August) following the Scottish Government's refusal to disclose the names of seal killing salmon farms - online here

Read more about seal-killing salmon farms in The Sunday Times:

"Seal campaigners call for salmon farm cull" (12 May 2013)

"Fish farms in shooting seals row" (16 September 2012)

"Pregnant seals shot to protect salmon farms" (1 July 2012)

"Fish exports targeted over seal culling" (1 July 2012)

In July it was reported that a humpback whale was killed by a salmon farm off the Isle of Mull - read more via "Salmon Farming Kills Whales"

Posted at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Salmon Farming Kills Whales!

Salmon farms have long been known to be a fatal attraction to marine mammals with seals and sea lions feeling the lethal force of the salmon farmer's guns and nets (for more background read "Salmon Farming Harms Other Marine Life" and "The Killing Farms").

Now it seems whales are becoming entangled, strangled and killed in salmon farm nets. Last week (4 July) it was revealed that "Scottish Rural College vets believe that a young humpback whale found drowned off the coast of Mull died after swimming into a fish farm".

"The observed pathology and stranding history would be consistent with the whale becoming trapped beneath a salmon pen and subsequently drowning," reported the Press & Journal (5 July). "The report also notes that young humpback whales are very inquisitive creatures which could explain why the animal was attracted to the salmon farm located at Fishnish on Mull".

The company responsible for the whale death is Scottish Sea Farms (owned by the Norwegian companies Leroy and SalMar) who are so coy concerning their involvement in the fatal incident that they do not report it on their news page on their web-site. GAAIA has now asked for photos and video footage of the incident (taken by Scottish Sea Farms staff):

The North Star reported (4 July):

BBC News reported (4 July):

The Herald reported (4 July):

The post mortem was carried out on 26 June - here's a photo courtesy of the Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust:

This Scottish incident is eerily familiar to another lethal incident involving a humpback whale and a salmon farm reported last year in British Columbia, Canada. Watch CBC News (30 March 2013) reporting on the incident in the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve - online here

CBC News also played footage of a dead seal caught in a salmon farm in British Columbia:

Global News & The Canadian Press reported (28 March 2013):

The Globe & Mail reported (28 March 2013):

Video footage of another humpback whale caught in a salmon farm in British Columbia was also shot in 2010 - watch online here

The Norwegian-owned salmon farming company involved in both BC incidents posted another video showing a humpback whale visiting a salmon farm - watch online here

Download CONFIDENTIAL - Hard Evidence Legal & Media Backgrounder Filming Inside A Salmon Farm (March 2018)

Posted at 09:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Celebrity Support for Salmon Farm Cull!

The campaign to stop Scottish salmon farmers shooting seals hit the bullseye over the weekend with celebrity support from Martin Shaw and Brian May - the latter Tweeted.

Actor Martin Shaw, famous for his role in The Professionals and Judge John Deed, offered his support in an interview with The Sunday Times (12 May).

Read article in full via "Seal campaigners call for salmon farm cull"

Martin Shaw found fame in the TV show 'The Professionals' as a police hard-man - never mess with a Professional!

A petition - "Stop Scotland's Unnecessary Seal Cull" - was launched today via Care 2:

Sign the petition online here!

Nearly 20,000 people also support the campaign via the Facebook group "Stop Scotland's Seals From Being Killed":

The Press & Journal also reported (9 May):

The trigger-happy response from the Scottish salmon farming industry was also reported by The Press & Journal (9 May):

The Scottish Daily Mail reported (9 May):

Read a press release and media backgrounder online via "Lethal Scottish Farmed Salmon: Serial Seal Killers Named & Shamed!"

Posted at 08:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

Scottish Salmon's Seal Killers Named & Shamed!

BREAKING NEWS from Scotland's Killing Farms!

Read a press release and media backgrounder online via "Lethal Scottish Farmed Salmon: Serial Seal Killers Named & Shamed!"

Scotland’s seal killing salmon farms are finally named and shamed following a Freedom of Information disclosure forced on the Scottish Government by the Scottish Information Commissioner. The damning data reveals that over half of the salmon farms in Scotland killed seals as a ‘last resort’ even though only 13% of sites have predator nets installed!

The worst offenders are the Norwegian-owned companies Hjaltland (Grieg Seafood), Scottish Sea Farms (Leroy/Salmar), Marine Harvest (Meridian/Morpol) and the Scottish Salmon Company. GAAIA is now writing to retailers and the U.S. Government urging a boycott of ‘seal-unfriendly’ farmed salmon.

FOI data disclosed late yesterday (7 May) reveals that salmon farms in Orkney & the North Coast, Shetland, Western Isles and on the West Coast of Scotland killed a total of 346 seals (93 common seals and 253 grey seals). During 2011 and the first six months of 2012, 112 different salmon farms killed at least one seal – representing 52% of the 215 active salmon farms in Scotland. Fifteen salmon farms accounted for over a third (37%) of the killings – with the ‘Seven Deadliest Salmon Farms’ accounting for a quarter of all killings:

18 seals killed – Hjaltland: Lax Firth, Shetland (#333)

14 seals killed – Scottish Sea Farms: Veantrow Bay, Orkney (#860)

14 seals killed – Lakeland Marine (Meridian): Loch Melfort, West Scotland (#629)

13 seals killed – Scottish Salmon Company: Loch Roag, Western Isles (#752)

11 seals killed – Scottish Sea Farms: Bring Head, Scapa Flow, Orkney (#1023)

10 seals killed – Marine Harvest: Loch Sunart, West Scotland (#413)

8 seals killed – Northern Isles Salmon (Meridian): Rousay Sound, Orkney (#645)

Download the data online now for 2011 and 2012 and other documents via "Lethal Scottish Farmed Salmon: Serial Seal Killers Named & Shamed!"

The disclosure comes despite over 12 months of complaints, refusals and delays from both the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) and the Scottish Government. In December 2012, the SSPO wrote to the Scottish Government claiming that the release of the names of the seal-killing salmon farms would “have a direct impact on the market success of their products” (read the SSPO’s letter in full online here).

In January 2013, the Scottish Information Commissioner delayed disclosure to investigate a complaint of death threats.

Back in June 2012 (following the original FOI request in April 2012 filed by GAAIA) the Scottish Government named the salmon farming companies killing seals but refused to name the specific sites leading to an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner. Thanks to rulings in November 2012 and April 2013 upholding freedom of information the general public now know the identity of the salmon farms across Scotland slaughtering seals.

GAAIA also published damning data (obtained from Marine Scotland in March 2013 via another FOI request) naming all 169 salmon farm sites in Scotland WITHOUT predator nets (download data online here). The Scottish Government admitted in a FOI reply in September 2012 that 87% of Scottish salmon farms do not even have predator nets – explaining that installing predator nets “requires employing extra trained staff and regular net maintenance and cleaning which costs money and eats into profit margins”. Another FOI reply from the Scottish Government in March 2013 detailed the 47 salmon farms with predator nets – although only 37 sites were operational and only 25 sites used the predator nets continuously (12 sites kept the nets in storage).

Faced with a barrage of bad publicity in British Columbia, Marine Harvest Canada installed predator nets at a cost of $250,000 per farm but Marine Harvest and other companies have continued to cut corners in Scotland. If the 169 salmon farms without predator nets in Scotland installed predator nets it would cost the salmon farming industry £27 million ($42.5 million).

Following yesterday’s FOI reply the Scottish Government immediately posted new data on Scotland’s seal killers online (read 2012 seal killings online here; read 2011 seal killings online here).

Today, GAAIA wrote once again to all supermarkets asking them to stop sourcing farmed salmon from all seal-killing salmon farms in Scotland urging a boycott of ‘seal-unfriendly’ farmed salmon (read the letter online here). A letter was also sent today (8 May) to the US Department of Commerce repeating the call to ban seal-unfriendly Scottish farmed salmon under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (read the letter online here).