Leaked Email: Staff Cuts at Scottish Sea Farms Compromise Fish Welfare

Leaked Email: Staff Cuts at Scottish Sea Farms Compromise Fish Welfare https://t.co/JzST9QOJkJ "They don't care about fish welfare" @scotseafarms "Health manager & the cleaner fish department laid off in the summer, now we're seeing the result" @LucyWeather @rspcaassured #RSPCA pic.twitter.com/AY9ygfaF2x

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 3, 2020

Scottish Salmon Watch was contacted yesterday (2 November 2020) following up the shocking news of welfare abuse by RSPCA Assured Scottish Sea Farms in Loch Creran. "They don't care about fish welfare," said the whistleblower attaching an email from Innes Weir (appointed regional manager for the Scottish mainland at Scottish Sea Farms in December 2019). "Health manager and the cleaner fish department laid off in the summer from Scottish Sea Farms, now we're seeing the result".

The email from Innes Weir (30 June 2020) told staff at Scottish Sea Farms that the biological services team of Sean Black and Daniel Carcajona "will leave" even though they "have been instrumental in developing and delivering new standards and fish welfare over recent years".

"That email went out to the whole company in June," replies the whistleblower. "Unreal. They think fish health and welfare posts are unimportant on West Coast and look what happens 4 months later" pic.twitter.com/NhapNZgwKh

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 3, 2020

The Herald reported on Halloween (31 October 2020) on the damning results of the "more streamlined structure" at Scottish Sea Farms:

The article included photos of welfare abuse inside Scottish Sea Farms in Loch Creran:

Watch video footage captured by Corin Smith of welfare abuse inside a salmon farm operated by Scottish Sea Farms in Loch Creran in October 2020:

Salmon & Trout Conservation Scotland reported yesterday (2 November 2020):

Scottish Sea Farms said it was "devastated" in a post on Twitter (31 October 2020).

1. We’re devastated to be experiencing a fish health challenge of the nature we’re seeing at Creran, Don – a situation that simply isn’t acceptable to us – and we’ve been working closely with veterinary professionals to remove the affected fish.

— Scottish Sea Farms (@scotseafarms) October 31, 2020

Marks & Spencer – which sources 'Lochmuir' salmon from Scottish Sea Farms – has been asked if it condones welfare abuse.

Does Marks & Spencer condone welfare abuse at 'Lochmuir' salmon farms? @marksandspencer Surely your suppliers @scotseafarms should be promoting high welfare standards not cutting corners (& laying off staff)? @LucyWeather @rspcaassured @SSPCA_Mike @SSPCA_Kirsteen @obantimes https://t.co/Wd8fZSTBz7

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 3, 2020

The reputation of ITV's weather girl Lucy Verasamy – who has promoted Scottish Sea Farms in TV adverts – is also under a cloud.

Welfare Warning @LucyWeather – prolonged periods of pain @scotseafarms with severe lesions, nasty diseases & lice infestations battering Scotland @SSPOsays
Storms forecast to bring more escapes, exacerbate pathogen problems & mass mortalities @MowiScotlandLtd @salmon_scottish pic.twitter.com/oEq0M2Kp6g

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 1, 2020

Will ITV still be promoting welfare abuse on Scottish salmon farms with your ad campaign for @scotseafarms @marksandspencer ? https://t.co/wKPgqIqFGC @LucyWeather @itvnews @itvweather https://t.co/Wd8fZSTBz7

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 3, 2020

Daniel Carcajona (who worked at Benchmark's FAI Atdtoe Marine Laboratory) was mentioned in a June 2019 article in Fish Farmer magazine in relation to best practice on cleaner fish.

Daniel Carcajona is co-author of a scientific paper published in March 2019 in the Journal of Fish Diseases:

According to his Linked In profile, Daniel Carcajona left Scottish Sea Farms in August 2020 and now works at Otter Ferry Seafish:

According to Sean Black's Linked In profile, he left Scottish Sea Farms in July 2020 after three years serving as a Marine Health Biologist.

Scottish Sea Farms has been experiencing disease and lice problems in Loch Creran – a 'Special Area of Conservation' and 'Marine Protected Area' – for months.

In 2018, Scottish Salmon Watch captured video footage of lice-infested cleaner fish inside a salmon farm operated by Scottish Sea Farms in Loch Spelve.

In February 2020, Scottish Salmon Watch reported on mass mortalities at RSPCA Assured Scottish Sea Farms in Loch Spelve.

In July 2020, Scottish Salmon Watch were threatened for filming wrasse being transported to Scottish Sea Farms in Loch Creran.

Here's video footage of dead cleaner fish at the nearby South Shian processing plant operated by Scottish Sea Farms.

Here's shocking photos published by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate of welfare abuse at Scottish Sea Farms:

Last year, Scottish Sea Farms warned Scottish Salmon Watch from getting too close to their disease-ridden salmon. Fish Farmer magazine reported (26 August 2019):

In July 2019, Police Scotland warned Scottish Salmon Watch against filming at Scottish Sea Farms wrongly advising that the public required permission from the Norwegian-owned company. The Ferret reported in August 2019:

In July 2020, Scottish Sea Farms complained to Police Scotland about filming and diving near their salmon farm in Loch Creran – even though it is perfectly legal to dive near and salmon farm!

Scottish Sea Farms "sent a barge around seemingly to ram us" @Ecohustler "Then they called the police" @policescotland "tormenting sentient animals is okay but snorkeling over to witness the carnage is not" @scotseafarms https://t.co/8enYytYDRV @LeroySeafood @H_S_E @MCA_media pic.twitter.com/BBV8Hnij7i

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 28, 2020

Police Scotland Acting as Private Security for Scottish Sea Farms (yet again)? @policescotland @scotseafarms https://t.co/gVec2N47IW Scottish Salmon Watch today filed a formal complaint against Police Scotland for harassment and against Scottish Sea Farms for reckless behaviour pic.twitter.com/QMenSoJ2GS

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 29, 2020

Last month, Scottish Salmon Watch won a landmark victory with an apology from Police Scotland.

Landmark Victory for Surveillance of Salmon Farms – Police Scotland apologises for wrongly protecting @scotseafarms from public access for filming & diving https://t.co/FJN8LmAX2w @policescotland pic.twitter.com/kU4IKfmGA5

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 15, 2020

In November 2018, Scottish Salmon Watch reported:

Here's photos leaked by a whistleblower working for The Scottish Salmon Company at their facility at Toward near Dunoon in Argyll:

View this photo

Here's photos of a mass mortality at Marine Harvest's salmon farm at Carradale in the Kilbrannan Sound in March 2018 leaked by a whistleblower:

View this photo

Here's what Mowi's @rspcaassured salmon looked like after 300,000 died in the Beast from the East in 2018 at their Carradale farm (the same site hit yesterday by Storm Ellen) https://t.co/hyztwncvhO Skinless Scottish salmon anyone? @MowiScotlandLtd @sainsburys @LidlGB @AldiUK pic.twitter.com/xjf3JM20jG

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) August 21, 2020