There's No Escaping 'Deformities' & Toxic Chemicals in Farmed Salmon!

"Farmed fish are treated with veterinary medicines from time to time," admits @marinescotland "A withdrawal period is applied following treatment during which time the animals cannot be slaughtered for human consumption" @BenMacpherson @RonaMackaySNP https://t.co/duofNpSjp6 pic.twitter.com/np6Tzu4By2

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) April 23, 2021

After 48,834 'deformed' (and potentially chemically-contaminated) farmed salmon escaped from Mowi's salmon farm in the Kilbrannan Sound in August 2020, Euan Mcgrandle pressed the Scottish Government for an answer on the politically toxic issue of chemicals and deformities in escaped 'Scottish' salmon. Yesterday (22 April 2021), the Scottish Government's Directorate for Marine Scotland gave a reply (of sorts):

Euran Mcgrandle, a scientist as well as an avid fisherman, is not happy with the Scottish Government's reply:

From: Euan Mcgrandle
Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2021, 09:31
Subject: Re: FW: Your recent correspondence with Scottish Government and partner agencies – 202100185490
To: Ferretti P (Paul) <Paul.Ferretti@parliament.scot>

Thank you for your email Paul,

In true political fashion, the response fails to answer any of the original questions, namely:

1. What is the withdrawal period, and most importantly can you provide definitive proof that salmon harvested from Carradale did in fact adhere to this?

2. Since no salmon was caught by anglers till after the remaining salmon in the cages were harvested, did this advice relate to the Carradale mass escape, or are other escapes happening and not being notified?

If the above questions could be answered rather than the generic placitude sent it would be appreciated.

Regards

Euan

"As a member of the Loch Lomond Angling Improvement Association, I am well aware of the escapes of farmed salmon mainly from MOWI's Carradale operation, but others too – and the advice given from FMS (Fisheries Management Scotland) which at the time was that any angler catching a farm escapee should under no circumstances eat it as they were unfit for human consumption (even though these were all about to be harvested if they hadn't escaped – go figure that one out!)," wrote Euan McGrandle in an email to a Member of the Scottish Parliament on 13 April 2021. "I saw in a committee update on 28th February that the advice from FMS to our committee was that these fish were still unsafe to eat (after swimming in the pristine water of the N Atlantic for 6 months) which I thought was strange so contacted first my MP (Stuart McDonald), and after getting no response contacted my MSP (Rona McKay). After reminder emails, I did get a reply from Stuart two weeks ago that he would ask the question but since then nothing."

"Now, either they know and don't want to say, or are afraid to ask the question, but as much as I am against the SNP's blinkered desire for independence at all costs (to include the environmental desolation of the west coast) in addition, clearly there are doubts over the safety of farmed salmon going into the food chain. It is now 6 weeks since I asked my initial question (email below) and for something that independent scientists are claiming to be unsafe to eat, I would have thought it would have taken a bit more focus from our elected leaders than appears to be the case.
Now I know SNP will suport salmon farming at all costs, especially as they seem to ignore anything which they find inconvenient, however the FMS report is very clear that the advice is that if an angler catches a farm salmon escapee, under no circumstances are they safe to eat. If this is the case – how safe are those sold in Tesco, Asda, Lidl etc."

In an email to Stuart McDonald MP (stuart.mcdonald.mp@parliament.uk) and Rona Mackay MSP (Rona.Mackay.msp@parliament.scot) in March 2021, Euan McGrandle wrote:

"I refer specifically to the instructions issued in relation to an angler who catches an escaped farmed salmon where the advice given by FMS immediately after the MOWI escape of nearly 50,000 salmon from their Carradale site and the subsequent invasion of rivers by these fish. The advice in “guidance for the capture of escaped farmed fish” states clearly that “Due to the need to maintain a withdrawal period following any sea lice or medicinal treatments of the farmed fish, on no account should the fish be kept or consumed.”

Whilst I understand the rationale of this concern over the safety or otherwise of these fish, FMS states also in their report “Monitoring for the presence of farmed salmon in West Coast Scottish rivers following an escape from the Carradale North salmon farm” that at the time of the escape the fish were due to be imminently harvested. This then opens the question, were these fish which did not escape and were ultimately harvested shortly afterwards fit for consumption?

I cannot see documented anywhere what timeframe this withdrawal period is and more importantly ar salmon farms adhering to it?

The blog report from 28^th Feb which I referred to above states on two separate occasions that the advice from FMS is that any angler catching an escaped salmon should not eat it as the advice from FMS is still the same and these are unfit for human consumption. Now I cannot find a specific reference to what FMS have told the LLAIA privately, and there is nothing listed on either website to clarify, but if over six months of swimming in the North Atlantic is not sufficient time for withdrawal of the various treatments then are any farmed salmon sold from Scottish waters actually fit for consumption?"

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

The Loch Lomond Angling Improvement Association reported in February 2021:

Euan McGrandle made the news in February 2020 when he caught an escaped farmed salmon from Norway on the North Esk.

Today (23 April 2021), Scottish Salmon Watch filed a Freedom of Information request asking the Scottish Government and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to provide details of any toxic chemicals used by Mowi at their salmon farms in Kilbrannan Sound in the 12 months prior to the mass escape in August 2020.

What toxic chemicals were used at Mowi's Carradale salmon farm before the mass escape of 49,000 fish in August 2020? https://t.co/0samd5HLqL
Emamectin benzoate was reported as used in September 2019 – was Azamethiphos, Deltamethrin or Imidacloprid used via wellboats? @ScottishEPA pic.twitter.com/yL1ofkaoFJ

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) April 23, 2021

Data sourced from chemical returns submitted to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and published via 'Scotland's Aquaculture' reveal that Mowi used the toxic chemical Emamectin benzoate (shown by scientific reports to be lethal to shellfish including lobsters) in September 2019 at both Carradale North and Carradale South in Kilbrannan Sound:

Crucially, however, the data published via 'Scotland's Aquaculture' states that toxic chemical use via wellboats is NOT included:

In November 2020, Scottish Salmon Watch questioned why SEPA and the Scottish Government does not publish data on toxic chemical use via wellboats.

The Devil is in the Data – why no published figures on the use of the toxic chemicals Azamethiphos, Deltamethrin, Hydrogen Peroxide & Imidacloprid via wellboats? @ScottishEPA @marinescotland @nature_scot @salmon_scottish @FergusEwingMSP @SSPOsays @scotgp https://t.co/ylOo17mBul pic.twitter.com/CDPHpSfBTX

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 10, 2020

During "streamlining" will you please publish data on the use of Azamethiphos, Deltamethrin, Hydrogen Peroxide & Imidacloprid via wellboats? Data for use on salmon farms is published up to July 2020 but wellboat data is still not available for 2019! https://t.co/ylOo17mBul pic.twitter.com/Pfq9fGygWd

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 10, 2020

Data on toxic chemical use by salmon farms via wellboats in 2019 is published @marinescotland but where is 2020 data & why does 'Scotland's Aquaculture' NOT include wellboat data or use of Hydrogen Peroxide, Formaldehyde etc? @ScottishEPA @SSPOsays https://t.co/7uUbgsOXQu pic.twitter.com/KebWFJ3GdC

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 9, 2020

Chemical data normally posted by SEPA via their Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory is currently unavailable due to a cyber-attack (which the BBC reported earlier this month has cost SEPA £800,000 and has led to 4,000 files stolen by hackers)!

If Mowi's farmed salmon were contaminated with toxic chemicals – be it Emamectin benzoate, Azamethiphos, Deltamethrin or pesticide residues – it certainly would not be the first time. The Ferret reported in August 2020: