“Probe launched over claims of ‘sonic torture’ at Scots fish farms”

ISSF ADDs June 2021 #3

 

 

The Sunday National and The Ferret reported (27 June 2021):

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read more via The Sunday National: "Probe launched over claims of ‘sonic torture’ at Scots fish farms"

 

 

 

 

 

Inside Scottish Salmon Feedlots issued a press release and video footage yesterday (28 June 2021) exposing the continued use of Acoustic Deterrent Devices by salmon farms across Scotland:

 

ISSF ADDs June 2021 #4

 

PRESS RELEASE | CAUGHT RED HANDED!
 
Community groups show salmon farmers are still using damaging seal scarers despite claims
 
As a new study is published (8th June) which confirms that seal-scarers on salmon farms (known as Acoustic Deterrent Devices, ADDs) are likely to be damaging the hearing of porpoises in large areas of Scotland’s coastal waters, including inside areas specifically set aside for their protection, community groups and campaigners today produce evidence about their ongoing use and ask Police Scotland to investigate.
 
ADDs are perceived by the human ear as a long series of intense and high-speed metallic clicks. They can be heard underwater more than 60km from the source. The impacts on marine life, particularly dolphins and porpoises who rely on echolocation to catch food, are likely catastrophic.
The study highlights “the potential for auditory impairment from ADD noise to non-target species such as harbour porpoises, at distances exceeding 28 km from aquaculture sites, amounting to over 23% of a designated porpoise SAC”.
 
Deliberately or recklessly disturbing any individual porpoise, dolphin or whale is illegal in Scotland.
 
The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) and the Centre for Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) modelled the combined noise from ADDs from 120 fish farms covering an area from Cape Wrath to the Clyde.
 
In response to the new study the salmon farming industry's representative body, the SSPO, is reported to have stated on the 9th June 2021 that,
 
“There are currently no ADDs in use at Scottish fish farms but the SSPO would consider redeploying newer devices that were compliant with Marine Scotland and the US Marine Mammals Protection Act (MMPA),”
 
On the 1st March 2021 the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation also issued the following statement,
 
Anne Anderson, Director of Sustainability for the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) said:
 
“Scottish salmon farmers are not using any acoustic deterrent devices that may have been considered to endanger cetaceans such as dolphins, porpoises and whales. All devices the sector does not have total confidence in, with regards to the harming of protected species, have been turned off and removed from the marine environment.”
 
However, following reports earlier this year from members of the public and salmon farm employees themselves, considerable evidence has been gathered which proves, beyond any doubt, the ongoing use of ADDs on a number of salmon farms. This despite the SSPO's claims to the contrary, now and in March.
 
John Aitchison, Coastal Communities Network Scotland said,
“We welcome this report which confirms our longstanding concerns that seal-scaring devices on Scotland’s salmon farms are harming porpoises and dolphins.
 
This is also about trust. In 2020, Marine Scotland (MS) told all of Scotland’s fish farming companies that they needed licences to use all the currently available types of seal-scarers, unless they could demonstrate that the devices would not disturb cetaceans. MS also confirmed that porpoises occur wherever there are fish farms. No farms have yet been issued with these licences, but when Clyde Porpoise CIC checked ten active farms this week, all of them still had their ADDs blaring.
 
The claims made by the salmon farming industry that ADD use has ended are untrue and we no longer trust these companies.
 
If they care about their reputations at all, we call on every fish farm operator to state for the record that they have stopped using all ADD’s and that the waters around their fish farms in Shetland, Orkney, the Hebrides and the West Coast are now free from this harmful noise pollution.
 
If they believe their ADDs do not harm porpoises and dolphins, we call on them to publish the proof.
 
We are also making a formal report to Police Scotland and we will request that Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon and Environment Minister Mairi McAllan, responsible for fish farming, urgently investigate this issue.”
 
The table below outlines some of the locations where the use of ADD’s has been documented.
 
Surveying of fish farms for ADD use had so far only reached Loch Fyne and Loch Striven areas. Almost every active fish farm was found to be using ADDs. Surveying of other areas has not yet been possible.
 
Marine Scotland inspectors are known to have visited Meall Mhor salmon farm in Loch Fyne in early May, when ADD’s were presumably still in place, active and continued to be used. It is not known if any guidance was issued at this point.
 
Following the 9th June statement by the SSPO, we can also report that ADDs were still operating at Ardyne, Strone and Sgian Dubh salmon farms on the same day.
 
These farms are operated by The Scottish Salmon Company (owned by Bakkafost in the Faroes).
 
The Scottish Salmon Company is a main supplier of farmed salmon to the Co-op and Waitrose, as well as exporting to the US.
 
Clyde Porpoise CIC founder David Nairn who collected much of the evidence said:
 
“This damaging form of noise pollution is harming some of our most precious wildlife. The salmon farming industry has denied and obfuscated about ADDs for too long. The Scottish Government must act decisively to categorically end the use of ADDs now, and I call on them to do so.”
 
Video footage collected by other investigators in which ADDs can be heard clearly, is being made available for two other salmon farms:
 
Meall Mhor 24/04/2021: https://bit.ly/MeallMhor24_04_2021
Strondir Bay 19/05/2021: https://bit.ly/StrondirBay19_05_2021
 
David and Jean Ainsley, a couple local to Oban who run a marine wildlife tourism business and whose initial petition, now signed by over 31,000 people, which calls on the Scottish Government to ban ADDs said,
 
“Under Scottish law, it is an offence to disturb or injure any porpoise, dolphin or whale. All ADDs including the new devices disturb and can deafen these iconic mammals. If deafened, these echolocating animals will starve. Disturbance would be legal if a farm held a protected species licence, however, a licence cannot be granted if there is a satisfactory alternative.
 
Many fish farms in Scotland do not use ADDs. They use stronger or double nets to keep farmed salmon and seals separated. Farms using ADDs were given the opportunity to apply for these licences but withdrew their applications and the SSPO reported twice that no fish farms were using ADDs, we know this is not true and any fish farm using ADDs where they could disturb porpoise, dolphins or whales is breaking the law.
 
We are starting an “ADD Watch” campaign. Please help Porpoises, Dolphins and Whales, by placing a GoPro below the surface when passing a fish farm. If you record metallic clicking noises, report it to us. The details are on the latest update to this 31,000 name petition.
Marine Scotland must do their job to enforce the laws that protect these special animals.”
 
Guy Linley-Adams, an environmental lawyer with extensive experience of fish farming in Scotland said,
 
"Given what we now know, we sincerely hope that Police Scotland will investigate the fish farming companies concerned. However, this yet again highlights the shortcomings of the Scottish Government’s approach to the regulation of salmon farming in Scotland, in this area and others. That these issues have to be policed by citizens, rather than regulators given proper resources, remit and teeth, is a national shame for Scotland. The findings do also seem to cast doubt on the wisdom of relying on self-reporting in other areas of fish farming.”
 
Most Scottish salmon farms use cheap single nets. Dead fish accumulate and tempt seals to bite salmon through the net. Well over a hundred salmon farms have used ADDs to deter seals, but there are alternatives: MOWI for example used ADDs and used to shoot seals in Scotland, however in British Columbia, where ADDs and seal shooting are banned, the same company uses double-skinned anti-predator nets. In Q1 this year MOWI Scotland reported EBIT of £22.9m, a big increase on the £5.7m made in Q1 2020.
 
Salmon farming companies in Scotland can afford to make the investments needed, in this area and others, to protect our environment. However, without regulation, a plan for transition and the Scottish Government continuing to prioritise big business over the environment, they have little incentive to do so.
 
ENDS
 
NOTES FOR EDITORS
 
Information Note and Frequently Asked Questions for the Operators of Finfish Farms on the use of Acoustic Deterrent Devices and the Requirement for a European Protected Species Licence
 
Marine Scotland October 2020
 
What are European Protected Species (EPS)?
 
These are species which are listed in Annex IV(a) of the Habitats Directive whose natural range includes any area in Scottish inshore waters. They include all species of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), marine turtles and the Atlantic sturgeon.
 
Legislation in Scottish Inshore Waters
Regulation 39(1)(a) of the Habitats Regulations sets out offences that relate to a number of specific circumstances in which EPS can be injured/disturbed. Furthermore, due to the differing strategies of cetaceans and our limited knowledge of them, Regulation 39(2) provides cetaceans with additional protection from disturbance by making it an offence to ‘deliberately or recklessly disturb any dolphin, porpoise or whale (cetacean).’
 
ADDs and disturbance of cetaceans
Current scientific evidence shows that cetaceans can be disturbed by ADDs used at Scottish finfish farms. The potential for disturbance from ADDs will vary widely based on multiple factors including: the sound characteristics of ADDs and the manner in which they are deployed, the environment in which ADDs are used (factors affecting how far sound travels include bathymetry, sediment and sediment types), other noise sources and species’ behavioural characteristics.
 
Do I need to apply for an EPS licence?
It is your responsibility as the fish farm operator to determine whether you need to apply for an EPS licence. However, given current scientific advice, it is likely that an EPS licence will be required for all currently available ADDs unless you can demonstrate that the device(s) operating at your site will not cause disturbance to cetaceans.
 
How are Marine Scotland and NatureScot defining ‘disturbance’ in the context of the legislation?
Disturbance is not defined in the Habitats Regulations, EU law or case law. However, given current scientific advice, it is likely that all currently available ADDs could cause disturbance to cetaceans at the individual level.
 
Proximity of cetaceans to fish farms and maintaining conservation status Cetaceans are transient and are found throughout Scottish waters, as indicated by the recent report commissioned by Marine Scotland: Regional baselines for marine mammal knowledge across the North Sea and Atlantic areas of Scottish waters. Consideration of the maps provided for harbour porpoise alone (S3.3.3), for example, illustrates the prevalence of this species in all coastal waters likely to be relevant to fish farming.
 
If a fish farm operator considers that cetaceans are not present in the ensonified area, this must be based on sufficient and robust evidence. If this were the conclusion, then an EPS licence application would not be required.
 
Is it possible to scope out harbour porpoise / EPS at the risk assessment stage based on existing data, for example, in areas with no/low activity?
It is unlikely to be appropriate to scope out harbour porpoise from consideration in EPS licensing in certain areas unless robust evidence is available that they are not present in the area for the same reasons as above. Similarly, if an applicant considers that their proposed device will not disturb harbour porpoise, sufficient robust evidence must be available to support this conclusion.
 
Will the proposed use of ADDs which operate at sound levels and frequencies which do not overlap with cetacean hearing ranges require an EPS licence? Will sound propagation modelling be required in support of an application and if so, what should be modelled, i.e. what thresholds should be used?
 
If, for example, by virtue of the sound levels and frequencies at which they operate, it can be shown that acoustic deterrents (or related systems) cannot disturb cetaceans, then an EPS licence is not required. However, MS-LOT would expect applicants to provide robust evidence to validate this claim. In practice, the hearing ranges of seals and cetaceans overlap, so there may be limited scope for identification of deterrents to which only seals are sensitive.
 
NOTE: No EPS licences have yet been issued for the use of ADDs on fish farms in Scotland.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Inside Scottish Salmon Feedlots posted on Facebook this morning (29 June 2021):
 
 
ISSF ADDs June 2021 #2
 
 
 
ISSF ADDs June 2021 #3
 
 
ISSF ADDs June 2021 #5
 
ISSF ADDs June 2021 #6
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
Inside Scottish Salmon Feedlots published a table detailing salmon farms still using ADDs (all operated by the Norwegian/Faroese-owned 'Scottish' Salmon Company):
 
 
ISSF ADDs June 2021 #7

 

 

 

 

 

 

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