Greenwasher of the Year – Mowi & the ASC share the spoiled Scottish salmon!

Not to be outdone, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council is doing their damndest to surpass their sister organisation (the Marine Conservation Society) in their shameless greenwashing.  

Open letter to the ASC: Please cancel all certification of Mowi's toxic Scottish salmon! https://t.co/N9MwDaN0kQ @ASC_aqua @MowiScotlandLtd @fms_scotland @SalmonTroutCons
Scottish salmon is farmed irresponsibly not responsibly! @rspcaassured @ASA_UK @sainsburys @Tesco @LidlGB pic.twitter.com/3L76as7mTY

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) January 6, 2022

"ASC will play a crucial role in ensuring a growing supply of environmentally sustainably and socially responsible food from the aquaculture industry" (Ally Dingwall in November 2021 as quoted in Fish Farming Expert)

The ASC's stamp of approval comes in the wake of rising use of antibiotics and toxic chemical use. 

And mass mortalities piling up faster than you can say: "The ASC salmon standard is not worth the paper it's written on". 

A decade ago back in 2012 I exposed how the Aquaculture Stewardship Council – dubbed the Abominable Salmon Council – had been corrupted by commercial forces intent on watering down the standards to accommodate farmed salmon.    As I wrote in April 2012:

The last decade has seen Mowi desperately try every trick in the book – from bending the rules, watering down the standards and moving the goalposts – to force Scottish salmon into the ASC.   Scottish Salmon Watch reported in March 2021: 

Mowi move goalposts on @ASC_aqua certification – first they pledged 100% ASC certification by 2020, then moved it to 2025 & now they expand to @ourGSSI recognised standards including @BAP_Aquaculture @GLOBALGAP & @BordIascMhara https://t.co/sGg4fT1MIR @MowiScotlandLtd #Greenwash pic.twitter.com/t0WEhnHPdO

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 26, 2021

In other words, the industry-dominated ASC is moving the goalposts to allow more salmon farms to meet their ever weakening and widening salmon standard.

Mowi's Q4 2021 Report included:

The key person driving the certification of 'Scottish' salmon as "responsible" via the ASC is Ally Dingwall who used to work for Marine Harvest (renamed Mowi in 2018) and Sainsbury's. 

Alistair Dingwell from @ASC_aqua gave a very informative talk today about Navigating the Pathway to Social Licence for Aquaculture at day one of #aquacultureuk today. Don’t forget to stop by stand 199 to visit the International Aquafeed team! pic.twitter.com/EVNSqFx6Wf

— The Aquaculturists (@IAFmagazine) May 3, 2022