Did a seal die for your salmon meal?

Following UK media coverage on ITV News last night (a further broadcast is scheduled on ITV News tonight), supermarkets are being urged to stop sourcing farmed salmon from 'seal-unfriendly' salmon farms. Protests are planned in Edinburgh (30 October) and in London (9 December) before a protest outside the RSPCA's head office in Sussex (10 December).

"People still buying Scottish salmon have blood on their hands," said Don Staniford, Director of the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture. "Next time you're in a supermarket or restaurant please ask whether a seal died for your salmon meal. Read my lips – eating Scottish salmon is the kiss of death for seals and leaves a bad taste in the mouth."

Read more details via the new Facebook group "Did a seal die for your salmon meal?"

Watch ITV News (8 October 2015) online here – including an admission from Grieg Seafood (Hjaltland Seafarms) that the Norwegian-owned company has shot too many seals:

Read more via ITV News (8 October 2015):

"Salmon farmers under fire for shooting seals"

"Seals in Shetland are getting into deep water with the salmon industry"

"More than 100 seals shot this year to protect salmon industry"

"Killing seals to protect salmon – the welfare dilemma"

Pete Bevington of Hillswick Seal Sanctuary told ITV News (8 October 2015):

ITV News also published (8 October 2015) the following statement from Peta:

Read another statement from the International Fund for Animal Welfare – online here

Chris Choi, ITV News 'Consumer Editor' reported (8 October 2015):

In an article – "Killing seals to protect salmon – the welfare dilemma" – published by ITV News (8 October), Chris Choi stated:

"In pure PR terms, no industry would like the suggestion it has seal blood on its hands"

In an interview with Grieg Seafood's Grant Cumming broadcast on ITV News last night, Chris Choi said:

"This site came top of the list for killing seals – with something like 24 in two years. That's not the kind of thing that is going to be popular with shoppers is it?"

"No – absolutely," replied Grant Cumming. "I think we realise that we have shot far too much in this area and that's something we've had a real determination to change. And that's what led us down the line with these Econets."

Last week (2 October 2015), GAAIA submitted formal comments to the US Government calling for a ban on all imports of 'seal-unfriendly' farmed salmon.

"GAAIA points you to a recent article in the Shetland News," stated an additional email submission (2 October 2015) to the US Government. "In particular, please note the following:

"Last year Grieg Seafood Hjaltland, which employs over 200 people and produces over 60 per cent of Shetland salmon, started investing around £2 million to stop grey seals breaching its anti-predator nets. The company has installed 26 extra-strong ‘Econets’ around the cages at its three Wadbister sites, including Laxfirth, at a cost of more than £40,000 each."

Therefore, a single salmon farm in Shetland spent over £1 million on predator nets at a 26-cage farm. If you assume (based upon a Scottish Government survey in 2011/2012) that 87% of the industry do NOT use predator nets and there are 143 active salmon farms (based on the latest Scottish Government annual fish farm survey) then it would cost well over £100 million for the entire Scottish salmon farming industry to install predator nets.

In essence, in excess of £100 million is the price for Scottish seal-friendly farmed salmon. In other words, the Scottish salmon farming industry has a £100 million + competitive advantage over the US salmon farming industry which I understand is prohibited from killing marine mammals under the US MMPA."