M&S “phase out” Lochmuir fake brand in favour of RSPCA Assured – out of the frying pan into the fire!

 

 

If you're still looking for Lochmuir salmon it's currently listed as "out of stock" on Marks & Spencer's web-site.

 

Lochmuir out of stock
 

 

 

 

 

It seems that high-end retailer M&S has finally reached the bottom of the barrel of any last remaining stocks of 'Lochmuir' salmon following pressure from campaign groups.   Feedback reported in December 2019:

 

M&S blog Lochmuir dropped May 2021 #1

M&S blog Lochmuir dropped May 2021 #2

 

 

M&S blog Lochmuir dropped May 2021 #3

 

 

 

 

Marks & Spencer Tweeted in December 2019 that "we’re phasing out the Lochmuir brand on all our salmon packs in favour of our Responsible Sourcing pledge to customers".

 

 

 

 

 

 

Judging by M&S's labelling of Scottish salmon in May 2021 – the Lochmuir branding has been removed completely in favour of RSPCA Assured – the phasing out of Lochmuir looks more or less complete.  

 

 

 

 

M&S's ad campaign in April 2021 failed to mention Lochmuir and instead focussed on the RSPCA Assured branding.

 

Lochmuir #21

 

 

 

 

It has been long-known that Lochmuir is a fictional place invented by M&S's marketing men.  The Mail On Sunday reported in February 2012:

 

Lochmuir #20

 

 

 

When Scottish Salmon Watch tried to find Lochmuir in June 2019 we struggled even with a map of Scotland.

 

 

 

 

It seems that Lochmuir salmon is now even more difficult to find with the phase out by M&S almost complete.  For example, Lochmuir salmon is listed as "currently unavailable" via Amazon online (as of 18 May 2021):

 

Lochmuir #1

 

 

 

M&S's 'Scottish Lochmuir Salmon Parcels' and 'Scottish Lochmuir Salmon Medallions' are currently "out of stock" too (as of 18 May 2021):

 

Lochmuir #4

 

Lochmuir #5

 

 

Shoppers in Guernsey can buy 'Scottish Lochmuir Salmon Fillets' although the name Lochmuir has been dropped from the packaging:

 

Lochmuir #2

 

 

 

Ocado's M&S Scottish salmon fillets currently in stock are stamped with the RSPCA Assured logo but the Lochmuir name is missing.

 

Lochmuir #6

 

 

When The Ferret reported on welfare problems at salmon farms in August 2018, the Lochmuir branding was prominently displayed on the label (as well as the name of the farm supplying M&S).

 

Lochmuir #7

 

 

When The Sun reported on M&S salmon in September 2019, Lochmuir was named on the front of packaging.

 

Lochmuir #8

 

 

When The Daily Mail featured fishy labelling in June 2013, Lochmuir was front and central of M&S's packaging.

 

Lochmuir #9

 

 

 

When The Daily Mail promoted M&S salmon as boosting people's sex lives and fertility in October 2016, 'Scottish Lochmuir' was prominent on the packaging.

 

Lochmuir #10

 

 

Lochmuir stood out when The Times tested a range of salmon products in November 2016.

 

Lochmuir #13

 

 

 

When The Guardian featured smoked salmon products in December 2015, Lochmuir was proudly named even if the pesky left-wing journalist pointed out that Lochmuir was not a place and was "a brand name invented by M&S".

 

Lochmuir #11

 

 

When Scottish Salmon Watch investigated the labelling of supermarket salmon in 2018 and 2019, the Lochmuir branding was still a key component of M&S's salmon.

 

Lochmuir #12

 

 

 

In 2016, M&S proudly featured the 10-year anniversary of Lochmuir salmon.

 

Lochmuir #14

 

 

In April 2018, M&S described Lochmuir as "iconic" in a written submission to the Scottish Parliament's salmon farming inquiry.

 

Lochmuir #3

 

 

When BBC Countryfile featured a salmon farm in Loch Creran supplying RSPCA Assured Lochmuir salmon to M&S in December 2020 the video footage did not scream out iconic.

 

BBC Countryfile 6 Dec 2020 #2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last month (11 May 2021), a video spoof from Ecohustler and a petition heaped the pressure on M&S. 

 

Lochmuir #23

 

 

 

 

 

Lochmuir #24

 

Here's the petition signed by nearly 80,000 people.

 

M&S petition

 

 

Ecohustler reported in April 2021:

 

Lochmuir #22

 

 

Lochmuir salmon has been controversial since it was launched in a blaze of bad publicity in 2006.  The Sunday Times reported in August 2006:

 

Lochmuir #15

 

 

The Scotsman reported in August 2006:

 

Lochmuir #16

Lochmuir #17

 

 

The Ferret reported in September 2015:

 

 

 

 

The Independent reported in September 2015:

 

Lochmuir #18

Lochmuir #19

 

 

 

 

 

The slow death of M&S's 'Lochmuir' salmon seems especially pertinent given that it was "pioneered" by Scottish Sea Farms (Norskott Havbruk) in Loch Spelve – where their manager Geoff Kidd was shortlisted for a BBC Food & Farming Award in 2010. 

 

Lochmuir #26

 

 

 

Loch Spelve is the scene of shocking video footage in May 2021 detailing welfare abuse and mass mortalities at RSPCA Assured Scottish Sea Farms (Norskott Havbruk). 

 

 

 

 

The Herald On Sunday reported last month that RSPCA Assured had suspended the M&S supplier (16 May 2021).

 

 

 

 

 

The Ferret reported earlier this month (8 June 2021) that Police Scotland were investigating a report from a whistleblower of a seal shot at a salmon farm (revealed by Scottish Salmon Watch to be at Scottish Sea Farms' RSPCA Assured Loch Spelve salmon salmon farm).

 

 

 

 

 

Don Staniford, Director of Scottish Salmon Watch, said:

 

"M&S must be congratulated for dropping their fake Lochmuir branding but surely they should drop farmed salmon altogether?  Rebranding as RSPCA Assured 'responsibly sourced' salmon is like leaping out of the frying pan into the fire.  RSPCA Assured salmon is a welfare nightmare and should be avoided like the proverbial plague.  Consumers have a right to know the awful truth about how factory farmed salmon reach their plates.  M&S is still duping customers by their false claims of high welfare standards and 'responsible' sourcing."

 

 

You Tube Fishing Real

 

 

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