Secret Salmon – On the Trail of Imidacloprid Use in Scotland!

Confidential Waste photo

 

 

Scottish Salmon Watch yesterday (3 September 2020) filed a Freedom of Information request searching for answers on the use of the toxic neonicotinoid insecticide Imidacloprid in Scotland.  

 

FOI Imidacloprid Ardtoe 3 Sept 2020 #1

FOI Imidacloprid Ardtoe 3 Sept 2020 #2

 

Read FOI request in full online here

 

 

In July 2020, Scottish Salmon Watch visited Mowi's salmon farm at Ardnish in Loch Ailort where the Scottish Environment Protection Agency was asked in March 2020 to support a field trial of Imidacloprid.

 

 

 

 

Last month an Editorial in British Wildlife by Professor Dave Goulson of the University of Sussex questioned the use of Imidacloprid (banned by the European Union for use in terrestrial agriculture in 2018) in salmon farming.

 

 

 

 

 

Scottish Salmon Watch visited the FAI Aquaculture Marine Laboratory in Ardtoe in August 2020 – the Benchmark-owned facility which developed their CleanTreat system "over a 10 year period" :

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fish Farmer magazine reported in February 2020 (when Benchmark was still hiding the fact that BMK08/Ectosan was the neonicotinoid Imidacloprid – Benchmark only publicly admitted this toxic truth on 20 March 2020 after Scottish Salmon Watch and The Ferret blew the whistle on 17 March 2020):

 

Fish Farmer Feb 2020 #1

 

 

Fish Farmer Feb 2020 #2

 

Fish Farmer Feb 2020 #3

 

Fish Farmer Feb 2020 #4

 

 

Earlier this week (1 September 2020), the Scottish Government published a FOI reply which denied any knowledge of any trials of Imidacloprid since 2017.

 

FOI SG Imidacloprid trials 5 Aug 2020 online 1 Sept 2020 #1

FOI SG Imidacloprid trials 5 Aug 2020 online 1 Sept 2020 #2

 

Read more background via Scottish Salmon Watch's FOI request dated 20 May 2020:

 

FOI SG Imidacloprid trials 5 Aug 2020 online 1 Sept 2020 #3

 

Including:

 

FOI SG Imidacloprid trials 5 Aug 2020 online 1 Sept 2020 #4

FOI SG Imidacloprid trials 5 Aug 2020 online 1 Sept 2020 #5

 

Read more via FOI Letter to Scottish Ministers SEPA & VMD re Imidacloprid Field Trials 20 May 2020

 

 

Top Secret Salmon

 

 

More background on FOI requests involving CleanTreat and Ectosan/BMK08/Imidacloprid – including an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner – are available via:

Please Come Clean on BMK08!

SEPA review of Imidacloprid refusal F0191802 18 May 2020

SEPA review of Imidacloprid refusal F0191802 findings in full 18 May 2020

SEPA review of Imidacloprid refusal F0191802 Mowi email to SEPA 10 March 2020 re Loch Ailort

SEPA review of Imidacloprid refusal F0191802 Mowi letter to SEPA 10 March 2020 re Loch Ailort

Scottish Government Imidacloprid FOI reply dated 11 May 2020

CleanTreat: FOI Disclosures by the Scottish Government to Scottish Salmon Watch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Scottish Salmon Watch visited Ardtoe in July 2020 it looked even more deserted with rumours that Benchmark had mothballed the marine research facility (it sold off the Fish Vet Group in July 2020 and sold off other non-core businesses in June 2020).

 

 

 

Scottish Salmon Watch visited Ardtoe in July 2019 (Benchmark denied a polite request for a site visit):

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benchmark's FAI Aquaculture web-site refers to "the need to maximise the sustainability and minimise the environmental impact of the technologies, and practices we develop" but there is no mention of the use of the neonicotinoid insecticide Imidacloprid or the 'CleanTreat' system which was developed over a 10-year period at Ardtoe.

 

FAI Ardtoe website

 

 

 

Last month (25 August 2020), Scottish Salmon Watch supplied further information as part of an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner which was filed in February 2020:

 

From: Don Staniford <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Aug 25, 2020 at 3:07 PM
Subject: Additional Information re. SEPA 202000275
To: Karin Killington <kkillington@itspublicknowledge.info>, <wsneddon@itspublicknowledge.info>
Further to Scottish Salmon Watch's appeal filed on 21 February 2020 (posted online via https://donstaniford.com/please-come-clean-on-bmk08-/):
 
Scottish Salmon Watch strongly believes that there is a public interest in the disclosure of information on 'CleanTreat' including BMK08 (Ectosan). 
 
In fact, it was only in March 2020 that Scottish Salmon Watch discovered that BMK08/Ectosan was the toxic neonicotinoid insecticide Imidacloprid (banned by the EU in 2018 for use in terrestrial agriculture).
 
This was reported via The Ferret, ENDS and other publications in March 2020:
 
 
 
 
And it forced out a public statement by Benchmark (architects of the CleanTreat system which uses Imidacloprid/BMK08/Ectosan):
 
 
 
Suffice to say that this controversial disclosure adds considerable weight to Scottish Salmon Watch's appeal.
 
Moreover, Scottish Salmon Watch further revealed in May 2020 (via a FOI disclosure by SEPA) that salmon farming giant Mowi in March 2020 had asked SEPA to support a field trial of Ectosan (re-named BMK08 in November 2019) in Loch Ailort:
 
 
 
The use of Imidacloprid warranted a letter to the Cabinet Secretary for the Environment from the Scottish Greens in May 2020:
 
 
In June 2020, Scottish Salmon Watch published scientific opposition to the use of Imidacloprid (which Benchmark proposes to use via the CleanTreat system):
 
 
 
 
Scottish Salmon Watch also published further details on the patents secured by Benchmark (information which we are not even sure that SEPA was in possession of):
 
 
The Sunday Times and BBC Radio featured the controversial issue in June 2020 and British Wildlife viewed the issue as such a public concern that they featured it in their Editorial in August 2020:
 
 
 
 
 
SEPA's refusal to disclose information on CleanTreat, BMK08, Ectosan and Imidacloprid is an affront to transparency and runs counter to their role as a publicly-funded watchdog for the environment.  Scottish Salmon Watch believes that protecting the commercial interests of a Norwegian-funded industry at the expense of the Scottish environment is unacceptable and unreasonable. 
 
It beggars belief that SEPA are placing the profits of Norway's 5th richest man (Johan Andresen – owner of Ferd Capital which controls Benchmark) before the Scottish environment and public accountability. 
 
 
Scottish Salmon Watch asks the Scottish Information Commissioner to force the disclosure of information in the public interest.  The considerable media coverage of the issue since March 2020 when it was publicly revealed that CleanTreat was a Trojan Horse designed to use a banned neonicotinoid insecticide is evidence enough.
 
Media coverage before Benchmark was forced to publicly admit that BMK08/Ectosan was Imidacloprid is available as reference via Media coverage of Benchmark's 'CleanTreat', Ectosan and BMK08
 
A time-line detailing how the use of Imidacloprid was secured via a patent in Norway back in 2011 is online via Horrible History: Imidacloprid Use in Salmon Farming
 
Please force SEPA to protect the Scottish environment rather than protect the commercial interests of a Norwegian company wanting to keep secret documents detailing the use of a toxic neonicotinoid insecticide. 
 
If you require further information please do not hesitate to contact me on 07771 541826.
 
Please provide a receipt for this email.
 
Thanks,
 
Don Staniford
 
Director, Scottish Salmon Watch
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

Read more via:

Imidacloprid graphic Water bottle spoof

PR Scientific Opposition to Imidacloprid Use in Salmon Farming 8 June 2020 Tweet #6 bottle spoofs

 

Imidacloprid graphic Will the Minister drink it

 

 

Watch more videos via:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fish Farming Expert reported (10 September 2020):

 

EMEA Imidacloprid approval Sept 2020 #1

 

EMEA Imidacloprid approval Sept 2020 #2

EMEA Imidacloprid approval Sept 2020 #3

EMEA Imidacloprid approval Sept 2020 #4

 

 

Here's the EMEA statement (11 September 2020):

 

EMEA Imidacloprid approval 11 Sept 2020 #1

EMEA Imidacloprid approval 11 Sept 2020 #2

 

 

 

Addendum:

 

From: Andrew Saunders <a.saunders@vmd.gov.uk>
Date: Wed, Sep 30, 2020 at 12:11 PM
Subject: Official Sensitive: Response to Freedom of Information Request ATI0676
To: Don Staniford <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>

Dear Don

Thank you for your email dated 03th September 2020.

 

Your Request

 

You asked for:

  1. Please provide information on the use of Imidacloprid (publicly known as Ectosan from December 2017 to November 2019 and then marketed by Benchmark as BMK08) at the FAI Aquaculture marine laboratory in Ardtoe since October 2013.  The FOI request with contextual information is attached here as a PDF and available online here.

Please therefore provide information including any licences, discharge consents, approvals, trials and any other documents relating to the use of Imidacloprid (Ectosan/BMK08) at Ardtoe since October 2013. 

  1. Scottish Salmon Watch would like to ascertain if any use of Imidacloprid (Ectosan/BMK08) by Benchmark – via their "10-year" development of CleanTreat at Ardtoe – has been officially approved by the Scottish Government, SEPA, the VMD or another authority.   

Our Reply

 

As a general point, you should note that the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gives you an entitlement to information rather than documents and it is in this context that we have answered your request.

 

  1. Please provide information on the use of Imidacloprid (publicly known as Ectosan from December 2017 to November 2019 and then marketed by Benchmark as BMK08) at the FAI Aquaculture marine laboratory in Ardtoe since October 2013.  The FOI request with contextual information is attached here as a PDF and available online here.

Please therefore provide information including any licences, discharge consents, approvals, trials and any other documents relating to the use of Imidacloprid (Ectosan/BMK08) at Ardtoe since October 2013. 

The VMD does not hold any recorded information in this area.

  1. Scottish Salmon Watch would like to ascertain if any use of Imidacloprid (Ectosan/BMK08) by Benchmark – via their "10-year" development of CleanTreat at Ardtoe – has been officially approved by the Scottish Government, SEPA, the VMD or another authority.   

To date, the use of imidacloprid (Ectosan/BMK08) by Benchmark – via their "10-year" development of CleanTreat at Ardtoe – has not been officially approved by the VMD.    The VMD does not hold any recorded information in this area.

 

Information releasable to the public

In keeping with the spirit and effect of the FOIA and the government’s Transparency Agenda, we may place this request on GOV.UK, in due course.  We will not place information identifying you on the GOV.UK website.

Copyright

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by copyright. You are free to use it for your own purposes, including for private study and non-commercial research, and for any other purpose authorised by an exception in current copyright law. Documents (except photographs) can be also used in the UK without requiring permission for the purposes of news reporting. Any other re-use, for example commercial publication, would require the permission of the copyright holder.

Most documents produced by Defra will be protected by Crown Copyright. Most Crown copyright information can be re-used under the Open Government Licence. For information about the OGL and about re-using Crown Copyright information please see The National Archives website.

Copyright in other documents may rest with a third party. For information about obtaining permission from a third party see the Intellectual Property Office’s website.

Our Service

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request and wish to make a complaint, you may request an internal review within two calendar months of the date of this e-mail. If you would like to request an internal review please write to the VMD via ati@vmd.gov.uk. If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

 

 

Many thanks

Andrew Saunders

Freedom of Information Officer

 

 

 

From: FOI Helpdesk <FOI.Mail@sepa.org.uk>
Date: Mon, Oct 5, 2020 at 2:17 PM
Subject: SEPA Response – [F:0192362]
To: <Salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>
Cc: <foi@sepa.org.uk>

Dear Mr Don Staniford
 
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION – RESPONSE
 
Thank you for your request, received by SEPA on 03/09/2020. Please see the enclosed response. Please accept our apologies for the delay in providing this response.

If you are not satisfied with our response below, you have 40 working days from the date of this letter to request a formal review from SEPA at: 

Access to Information
SEPA
Strathallan House
Castle Business Park
Stirling
FK9 4TZ
Email: foi@sepa.org.uk

If you are still not satisfied, you can appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner.


www.itspublicknowledge.info/appeal

Your unique reference number is F0192362. Please quote this in any future contact with us about your request.

 
Regards
 


Cara Everitt
SEPA Access to Information team
Tel: 01786 457700
 
 
 
Imidacloprid SEPA FOI FAI Ardtoe Oct 2020
Imidacloprid SEPA FOI FAI Ardtoe Oct 2020 #2
 
From: Don Staniford <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Oct 6, 2020 at 9:49 AM
Subject: Review re. F:0192362
To: AccesstoInformation <foi@sepa.org.uk>
Could you please double check your records?
 
Your reply (5 October 2020) included:
 
image.png
 
Scottish Salmon Watch finds it difficult to understand how Benchmark can have conducted a decade of scientific research on CleanTreat – including the use of toxic chemicals such as Imidacloprid – at Ardtoe without having any authorisation or discussions with SEPA.
 
In the absence of any SEPA discharge consent to use Imidacloprid, can it be concluded that any use of Imidacloprid by Benchmark at Ardtoe was illegal?
 
Please consider this a formal request for a review of F:0192362.
 
Thanks,
 
Don
 
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