CIWF’s watered down ‘moratorium’ message lets diseased & abused Scottish salmon slip off the hook – please Rethink!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's an email from Scottish Salmon Watch to Compassion In World Farming:

 

From: Don Staniford <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Mar 23, 2021 at 11:37 AM
Subject: CIWF's watered down 'moratorium' message lets diseased & abused Scottish salmon slip off the hook – please Rethink!
To: Natasha Smith <Natasha.Smith@ciwf.org>, Dr Natasha Boyland <Natasha.Boyland@ciwf.org>, Sophie Peutrill <Sophie.Peutrill@ciwf.org>, Sean Gifford <Sean.Gifford@ciwf.org>, Philip Lymbery <philip@ciwf.org>, Phil Brooke <phil@ciwf.org>, Peter Stevenson <Peter.Stevenson@ciwf.org.uk>, Dr Krzysztof Wojtas <Krzysztof.Wojtas@ciwf.org>
 
Firstly, congratulations on the shocking video footage of welfare abuse inside salmon farms in Scotland published today.  This is a game-changer in the campaign to end sea cage salmon farming.  I've blogged via: REVEALED: The Farmed Salmon Crisis 
 
However, CIWF's watered down messaging calling for a moratorium to end the "reckless" and "runaway" expansion of salmon farming in Scotland is appallingly weak and misguided.  CIWF's petition effectively says to the salmon farming industry and Scottish Government that ca. 200 salmon farms and 200,000 tonnes of farmed salmon production is fine with CIWF. 
 
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Such messaging is completely out of kilter with British Columbia, for example, which is currently closing down salmon farms.  Even Mowi in Scotland is closing down two salmon farms.  
 
How can CIWF justify such a weak position based on the shocking video evidence of widespread welfare abuse at salmon farms in Scotland?
 
Surely CIWF should demand that all the salmon farms featured in the video footage (including RSPCA Assured sites) are immediately closed down?
 
Indeed, how can CIWF take a different position on sea cage salmon farming than with cage farming on land? 
 
 
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CIWF is happy to only halt the expansion of salmon farming (i.e. the status quo and current production levels are fine – and you could argue that CIWF's use of the words "reckless" and "runaway" implies that "measured" expansion is fine too):
 
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The video evidence from CIWF – coupled with photographic evidence published by the Scottish Government and damning 'Case Information' published by the Fish Health Inspectorate – demands only one resolution: the end of sea cage salmon farming. 
 
It is illogical and unreasonable for CIWF to campaign to "Stop Salmon Suffering" when even a reduction of farmed salmon production will not end suffering.  Even 'welfare friendly' salmon farming certified by RSPCA Assured (who accredit ca. 70% of Scottish salmon farming in return for over £500,000 per year) and supported by the SSPCA who are chaired by a salmon farmer for Scottish Sea Farms (one of the companies exposed as endorsing welfare abuse in your new video footage – and previous video footage) has been shown to promote salmon suffering.
 
I am trying to find an appropriate analogy but it appears akin to a footballer dribbling past the entire defence and then with an open goal somehow fails to score.  Hopefully you get the picture of a missed opportunity.
 
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CIWF has in effect snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
 
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It begs the question: does CIWF receive financial support from the salmon farming sector or from accreditation bodies such as RSPCA Assured who make money by promoting salmon farming?
 
Keeping with the football analogy it reminds me of Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar allegedly throwing a game for money.   
 
Whatever the case – and I have huge admiration for many people working at CIWF – it does seem that CIWF have compromised their principles and position in relation to salmon farming even with shocking video evidence staring in your face. 
 
Whilst CIWF is content to support over 200,000 tonnes of salmon farming production and only call for an end to the reckless and runaway expansion, Scottish Salmon Watch will continue to campaign for the end of sea cage salmon farming in Scotland.  Stopping salmon suffering necessarily requires stopping salmon farming completely.  Full stop.  Period.  End of story.  There can be no compromise. 
 
Scottish Salmon Watch hopes that CIWF rethink their position on salmon farming and include sea cage salmon farming in their campaign to ban the cage age. 
 
 
 
I would be happy to include a reply from CIWF. 
 
Best fishes,
 
Don Staniford
 
Director, Scottish Salmon Watch
 
 
 

 

 

 
 
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