Iceland Still Importing Ova to 'Scottish' Salmon Farms Despite Disease Risks! https://t.co/ObzuMSgMs2@HGSalmonUK @BetterBreeding @LochDuartSalmon @ScotlandSalmon @WeAreBenchmark @MowiScotlandLtd @scotgov @MairiGougeon @ScotGovNetZero @EFTAsecretariat @PresidentISL @MFAIceland pic.twitter.com/PL4n09Oqao
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 9, 2022
Information disclosed by the Scottish Government via Freedom of Information (FOI-2022-00273889) on 7 February 2022 provides further documentary evidence of imports of salmon eggs (ova) from Iceland to Scotland for on-growing on salmon farms. This health certificate details an import shipment of 650,000 ova in November 2021 from Benchmark Genetics Iceland (formerly called Stofnfiskur) to Landcatch's Ormsary Hatchery on behalf of Loch Duart in Sutherland:
Scottish Salmon Watch (renamed Scamon Scotland on 1 February 2020) reported last month (21 January 2022):
Escape at ISA-Hit Laxar – why is 'Scottish' Salmon Still Importing Millions of Ova from Iceland? @RUVohf https://t.co/Cs7LjXG8jN @MFAIceland @MairiGougeon @marinescotland @ScotlandSalmon @MowiScotlandLtd @WeAreBenchmark @scotseafarms @HGSalmonUK @GriegShetland @salmon_scottish pic.twitter.com/RSHcqAOwvb
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) January 21, 2022
In December 2021, Scottish Salmon Watch wrote to Scottish Ministers calling for the borders to be closed to ova imports due to a report of Infectious Salmon Anaemia in Iceland:
"We need to head off the accusations of disease in Icelandic eggs though suggest we don't address the accusation directly" said @scotgov @marinescotland @ScotGovNetZero employee in February 2020. Now that ISA is reported in Iceland will you be banning ova imports? @MairiGougeon pic.twitter.com/Wibvt32wnY
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 29, 2021
Despite the increasing risks and the lack of testing, a Freedom of Information reply from the Scottish Government last month (10 January 2022) claimed that the risk of importing ova from Iceland was not significant:
“Marine Scotland Science does not undertake routine testing on ova to screen for the presence of aquatic animal pathogens” admitted @scotgov in a FOI disclosure this week. 93 million salmon ova were imported into salmon farms in Scotland in 2020 & 2021!https://t.co/0CFJz9EkPO pic.twitter.com/xAcPOpHNgn
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) January 14, 2022
A letter from the Scottish Government dated 10 January 2022 included:
EXPOSED: 'Scottish' Salmon's Import/Export Trade in Ova, Smolts & 'Cleaner Fish' @ScotlandSalmon
As the world closes borders to prevent the spread of #COVID19 why have millions of ova flooded into #Scotland from ISA-ridden #Iceland, #Ireland & #Norway? https://t.co/0CFJz9EkPO pic.twitter.com/sMs8JzwbiU— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) January 15, 2022
Data published by the Scottish Government in September 2021 via the 'Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey 2020' detailed imports of ova from Iceland flooding 'Scottish' salmon farms following the ban on ova imports from Norway due to ISA risks in 2019:
Game Ova for Iceland?
Last year, 'Scottish' salmon farming imported 42 million salmon eggs (ova) from Iceland – how many were infected with Infectious Salmon Anaemia? @scotgov @MairiGougeon @marinescotlandhttps://t.co/SupjI0ROMP @EFTAsecretariat @Iceland_Review #Iceland #ISA pic.twitter.com/VtJk2POf8m— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 27, 2021
Scottish Salmon Watch reported in November 2021:
Now that pathogenic Infectious Salmon Anaemia is suspected in Iceland will Scotland close the border to ova imports to stop the risk of disease transfer? @MairiGougeon @marinescotland @ScotlandSalmon @WeAreBenchmark @fms_scotland @SalmonTroutCons https://t.co/3d7SGEVAb5 https://t.co/HMxIA5pCD8
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 26, 2021
Intrafish reported (26 November 2021):
Salmon Business reported (26 November 2021) that the suspected case of ISA was at Norwegian-owned Laxar who is understood to source salmon eggs (ova) from Stofnfiskur (renamed Benchmark Genetics Iceland in January 2021):
Norwegian-owned Laxar – hit by Infectious Salmon Anaemia in #Iceland – sources salmon eggs (ova) from Stofnfiskur (Benchmark) @WeAreBenchmark
Since 2016, 'Scottish' salmon farms have imported 110.6 million ova from Stofnfiskur (Benchmark). Will @scotgov now close the border? pic.twitter.com/xOJO5tuUv2— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 29, 2021
Fish Farmer reported (29 November 2021):
Since June 2019 (after Norwegian ova were banned due to Infectious Salmon Anaemia), #Iceland has accounted for 68% of ova imports into #Scotland with #Norway accounting for less than 1%. Now that #ISA is in Iceland will ova imports be banned? @scotgov @MairiGougeon @MairiMcAllan pic.twitter.com/ppEROAmYDN
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 29, 2021
Scottish Salmon Watch revealed last month (10 January 2020) that ISA was reported at Landcatch's Ormsary Hatchery in Argyll during an inspection by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate in November 2021:
Infectious Salmon Anaemia Reported at Landcatch’s Ormsary Hatchery in November – was ISA imported via infected salmon eggs (ova) from Iceland? @WeAreBenchmark @HGSalmonUK @BetterBreeding @marinescotland @ScotlandSalmon @obantimes @argyllshiread @salmon_scottish @LochDuartSalmon pic.twitter.com/dh5CD9J5tg
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) January 10, 2022
Hendrix's Ormsary Hatchery has imported over 26.7 million salmon eggs from Iceland, Norway & Ireland since 2016 – how many were infected with Infectious Salmon Anaemia? @marinescotland @MairiGougeon @WeAreBenchmark @BetterBreeding @HGSalmonUK @salmon_scottish @ScotlandSalmon pic.twitter.com/Hx9s03jOG6
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) January 10, 2022
Loch Duart, Organic Sea Harvest, Scottish Sea Farms & Scottish Salmon Co imported 14 million ova from Iceland & Norway via Landcatch's Ormsary Hatchery since 2016 – how many 'Scottish' farmed salmon have tested positive for ISA? @ScotlandSalmon @salmon_scottish @LochDuartSalmon pic.twitter.com/GFyS1BdUxY
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) January 10, 2022
The Fish Health Inspectorate's inspection report for November's visit to Ormsary is still "awaiting publication" but is expected to be published online soon.
Scottish Salmon Watch reported in December 2021:
The Catch with Landcatch – how Lithgows sold Scottish salmon down the river to Dutch & US investors! @HGSalmonUK @BetterBreeding @kamesfishfarm @WeAreBenchmark @ScotlandSalmon @scotgov https://t.co/7WsT6ju1Gv pic.twitter.com/uy5Vc3oCPq
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 1, 2021
Scamon Scotland today (9 February 2022) wrote to Scottish Ministers requesting an immediate ban on imports of ova due to disease and genetic risks.
Please Close the Border to Imports of Salmon Ova, Parr & Smolts! https://t.co/hZFEGSm0dX
The health & genetic integrity of ‘Scottish’ salmon is being threatened by imports flooding into Scotland. Failure @scotgov to screen imports is the antithesis of the precautionary principle pic.twitter.com/b7wg85KJ40— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 9, 2022
Read more via:
- Letter to Scottish Ministers: Please Close the Border to Imports of Salmon Ova, Parr & Smolts!
- Escape at ISA-Hit Laxar – why is 'Scottish' Salmon Still Importing Millions of Ova from Iceland?
- Front Page Splash on ISA at Landcatch in the Argyllshire Advertiser!
- Game Ova for Imports & Exports: Close the Borders to Stop the Spread of Diseases & Genetic Pollution!
- Infectious Salmon Anaemia Reported at Landcatch’s Ormsary Hatchery in November – was ISA imported via infected salmon eggs (ova) from Iceland?
- The Catch with Landcatch – how Lithgows sold Scottish salmon down the river to Dutch & US investors!
- Iceland Slaughters ISA-Infected Salmon – is Scotland next in the firing line?
- ISA hits Scottish Sea Farms owner SalMar in Norway – how many hidden cases are lurking on salmon farms in Scotland?
- Letter to Scottish Ministers calling for a ban on ova imports from Iceland
- Revealed: Infectious Salmon Anaemia Lurking in Scottish Salmon
- Scottish Ministers with Egg on Their Faces – is it game ova for imports of salmon eggs from Iceland & Norway?
- Scottish Scamon Eggsposé: The Foreign Companies Importing Over 320 Million Salmon Eggs (Ova) Into 'Scottish' Fish Farms Since 2016!
- Press Statement: Ban All Ova Imports to Protect 'Scottish' Salmon!
- ISA in Iceland – will Scotland ban ova imports to prevent disease risks as with Norway?
- Mowi fined for breaching ISA laws in Norway – is ISA lurking at Mowi salmon farms in Scotland?
- Top story on Intrafish reports on ISA at Scottish Sea Farms!
- Salmon Farming is Like the Black Death Plague!
- Mowi's Mortality Nigthmare – Farmed Salmon is Dead in the Water!
- "Activist challenged over claim about fish virus" (Fish Farming Expert)
- Breaking News: ISA reported at RSPCA Assured Scottish Sea Farms on the Isle of Mull
- Damning Disease Report for RSPCA Assured Scottish Sea Farms in Loch Spelve
- Letter to Scottish Ministers re. ISA in Scottish Salmon
- Media Backgrounder: Scottish Salmon’s Recurring ISA Nightmare
- Media Backgrounder: Norway’s Infectious Salmon Aquacalypse – Going Global Since 1984!
- Norway's Infectious Salmon "Horror Show" Secretly Playing Now In Scotland?
- Norwegian Salmon Egg Exports Banned Due to Disease Risks
- Letter to Scottish Ministers: "Bio-security Protocols & Safety Precautions re. Ova Imports"
"The lack of testing of imported ova is a serious risk to biosecurity as well as representing a threat to biodiversity" (Letter from Scottish Salmon Watch to the Scottish Government @MairiGougeon @scotgov) https://t.co/99P9Zla9l8 @ScotlandSalmon @SalmonTroutCons @AST_Salmon pic.twitter.com/vo2MPSY5Ar
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 2, 2021
ISA costs Icelandic salmon farmer $10 million as disease takes root in the country https://t.co/tHMZ3KC6qY
ISA was reported in Scotland in May 2021 @scotseafarms in Loch Spelve & in November 2021 @HGSalmonUK at Ormsary. How much will ISA cost Scotland? @ScotlandSalmon @scotgov— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 1, 2022