Mowi Moves Goalposts on ASC Certification

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

Hidden away at the bottom of page 10 of Mowi's 'Integrated Annual Report 2020' published this week (24 March 2021) – marked with an asterix and difficult to spot – is a significant shift away from previous commitments made towards 100% certification by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council.

Mowi's web-site may not have caught up with their 2020 Integrated Annual Report and still claims that "our Mowi ambition is a positive trend towards 100 % ASC certification":

In 2013, Marine Harvest (re-named Mowi in 2019 due to what their CEO descibed as "negative consumer concerns") committed to 100% ASC certification by 2020.

The ASC reported in May 2013:

The Guardian reported in May 2013:

In 2012, it was revealed that the ASC would be dead in the water without the revenue stream generated by farmed salmon.

In 2016, Marine Harvest pledged to have 100% of their salmon farms ASC-certified by 2020.

Mowi announced in a press release in May 2020 that 2020 had been changed to 2025:

Mowi's press release (29 May 2020) ended with:

The ASC's certification of freshwater loch sites in Scotland followed a rule change in 2019. Fish Farming Expert reported in July 2019:

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 failures in Scotland are not for want of desperately trying. Fish Farming Expert reported in January 2021:

As of today (26 March 2021), here's the ASC certification status of 16 Mowi salmon farms in Scotland (10 certified, 4 cancelled and 2 in initial audit):

The ASC has clarified to Scottish Salmon Watch what 'Cancelled' means:

From: Jack Cutforth <Jack.Cutforth@asc-aqua.org>
Date: Sun, Mar 28, 2021 at 4:46 PM
Subject: Re: 'Cancelled' in ASC salmon standard data?
To: Don Staniford <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>, Bertrand Charron <Bertrand.Charron@asc-aqua.org>

Hi again Don

‘Cancellation’ is defined in the Certification and Accreditation Requirements (CAR) as the ‘Voluntary cancellation of a certification contract by any party to it according to the contractual arrangements’. A question was asked to the interpretation platform about the difference between cancelled, withdrawn, suspended and expired and the answer to that includes a bit more information, and clarifies that in a cancellation the decision-maker is the certificate holder or applicant, and that if the cancellation decision comes after an on-site audit has taken place, a summary of that audit must still be submitted to ASC: https://www.asc-aqua.org/what-you-can-do/get-certified/variance-request-interpretation-platform/QA0004/

Thanks,

Jack

Mowi's troubles with ASC certification in Scotland contrasts with dozens of salmon farms certified in Norway (ca. 80), Canada (ca. 20) and Chile (ca. 20 – although there are failed audits and cancellations too) – read a full list online here

It's obvious why ASC certification of Mowi's salmon farm at North Carradale has been 'cancelled' – it was the scene of a mass escape last Summer.

And the scence of a mass mortality of 300,000 farmed salmon which were literally skinned alive – battered to death – in March 2018.

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 headline in The Sunday Mail read: "Gutted – 300,000 salmon are killed as storm batters fish farm"

In view of Mowi's disease and lice infestation problems at their salmon farm at Gorsten in Loch Linnhe it is difficult to understand why it has been certified by the ASC – especially since this is the farm featured in 'Seaspiracy' which premiered on Netflix this week:

Salmon farming "is the real monster of the lochs of Scotland" @seaspiracy @netflix https://t.co/2zalUmhl1x pic.twitter.com/ZnqlIWvTSx

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 24, 2021

Here's video footage of diseased fish shot at Mowi's ASC-certified salmon farm at Gorsten:

Inside Scottish Salmon Feedlots reported earlier this month (1 March 2021) that Mowi's ASC-certified salmon farm at Gorsten was lice-infested:

CONSUMER WARNING | TESCO finest*, Scottish Smoked Salmon (in stores 28 Feb 2021) (sea lice parasite infestation level…

Posted by Inside Scottish Salmon Feedlots on Monday, March 1, 2021

Mowi's salmon farm at Cairidh in Loch Ailort on the Isle of Skye (which the ASC describe as 'Cancelled') was exposed by Scottish Salmon Watch in January 2020 as the source of the disease-ridden salmon spill on the A86 – a site where Mowi breached the SSPO's Code of Good Practice in moving virus-laden farmed salmon from another Mowi farm on the Isle of Rum (a site the ASC describes as undergoing 'Initial Audit').

Disease-Ridden Mowi Revealed as Source of A86 Roadspill in September https://t.co/CL9rlx33qB @MowiScotlandLtd @marinescotland @APHAgovuk @GogarServices @trafficscotland Mowi breached biosecurity & @SSPOsays Code of Good Practice in moving virus-laden fish from the Isle of Rum pic.twitter.com/hCW4N7nTKK

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) January 5, 2020

Here's photos of Mowi's soon-to-be ASC certified Rum salmon farm – sourced from inspection reports published by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate:

Scottish Salmon Watch filmed containers of the carcinogenic chemical Formaldehyde and disease-ridden mortalities when we visited Mowi's Sconser salmon farm in November 2018 (Sconser Quarry's ASC certification has been 'Cancelled'):

Mowi's ASC-certified salmon farm at Stulaigh was exposed by Scottish Salmon Watch in October 2019 when the Scottish Government was forced to dislose damning photos via Freedom of Information despite protests from Mowi.

Mowi: "the risk of people turning away from a healthy food such as salmon as a reaction to irresponsible use of photos for the sole purpose of creating fear in the consumer, is a risk to public health" https://t.co/u9Fk2kOkxz @MowiScotlandLtd @marinescotland @FergusEwingMSP pic.twitter.com/M3AyD3jMTm

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 24, 2019

And mortality rates have been shockingly high at Mowi's ASC-certified Stulaigh salmon farm:

RSPCA Assured Mowi tops the mortality charts with a 17.4% monthly death rate in July at Stulaigh in Loch Eynort & 28.7% overall mortality in Loch Greshornish on Skye https://t.co/a3w08wp8bt @SSPOsays @MowiScotlandLtd @GriegShetland @salmon_scottish @rspcaassured @KateForbesMSP pic.twitter.com/wWrVYNxUrS

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) September 2, 2020

In July 2019, Scottish Salmon Watch filmed empty containers of the carcinogenic chemical Formaldehyde at Mowi's ASC-certified salmon farm in Loch Arkaig.

Anyone for "responsibly certified" Scottish salmon doused in carcinogenic chemical, battered to death, ridden with infectious diseases, served with a side of slaughtered seal & lashings of lice? https://t.co/eY2gaWV3eD @ASC_aqua @MowiScotlandLtd @FergusEwingMSP @rspcaassured pic.twitter.com/lljHE7UyBn

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) June 3, 2020

In addition to allowing the use of carcinogenic Formaldehyde, the ASC salmon standard appears set to allow the use of the toxic neonicotinoid insecticide Imidacloprid which Mowi is seeking to trial in Loch Ailort. Fish Farming Expert reported in March 2020:

The ASC reported in May 2019:

The ASC told Scottish Salmon Watch earlier this week (23 March 2021) that the use of the toxic neonicotinoid Imidacloprid is not prohibited under the ASC salmon standard:

From: Jack Cutforth <Jack.Cutforth@asc-aqua.org>
Date: Tue, Mar 23, 2021 at 11:50 AM
Subject: Re: Questions re. Imidacloprid
To: Bertrand Charron <Bertrand.Charron@asc-aqua.org>, Don Staniford <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>

Thanks Bertrand. Hi Don – good to meet you. The interpretation request was not deleted and has always been available to view on the ASC website. The platform used for requests was recently migrated and apologies if that made it difficult to find, but it was never taken down from the website: https://www.asc-aqua.org/what-you-can-do/get-certified/variance-request-interpretation-platform/QA0066/

Please note, however, this request was made under a previous version of the standard and is no longer applicable. We are currently looking into how to implement requirements on this form of treatment (applying it in a separate and fully enclosed water containment structure) which was not foreseen, nor commented upon by stakeholders, during the development of the standard. This chemical is not specifically prohibited but treatments can only be used if they are legal, and do not hinder compliance with other ASC requirements.

Thanks,

Jack

From: Don Staniford <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Mar 23, 2021 at 11:54 AM
Subject: Re: Questions re. Imidacloprid
To: Jack Cutforth <Jack.Cutforth@asc-aqua.org>
Cc: Bertrand Charron <Bertrand.Charron@asc-aqua.org>

Thanks – surely the ASC should specifically prohibit a banned neonicotinoid which is especially toxic in aquatic environments?

Scottish Salmon Watch lifts the lid on Imidacloprid use in salmon farming https://t.co/R4l8knDTZu
How can @GreenerScotland & @ScottishEPA authorize the use of a toxic neonicotinoid banned in terrestrial agriculture in 2018 for use in salmon farming? @WeAreBenchmark @FerdOwner pic.twitter.com/m3GZ3WP1nJ

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 24, 2021

Scottish Salmon Watch reported in July 2019:

Next time you're in the supermarket and see salmon stamped with the ASC logo please think twice before falling hook line and sinker for their "sustainable" and "environmentally responsible" factory farmed salmon.

SeaChoice warned in a press release (16 July 2019):

The ASC told Scottish Salmon Watch in July 2019:

From: Bertrand Charron <Bertrand.Charron@asc-aqua.org>
Date: Fri, Jul 12, 2019 at 3:21 PM
Subject: RE: ASC standard permits use of Formaldehyde?
To: Don Staniford <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>

Hello Don,

Thank you for getting in touch and seeking some clarification re. whether the ASC standard permits use of Formaldehyde.

Whilst ASC cannot comment upon the practices of any non-ASC certified salmon farms, I can confirm that the ASC Salmon Standard provides a solid framework for an environmentally responsible management of diseases and parasites, as per the criteria and requirements listed under the Principle 5.

Notably, the ASC Salmon Standard does not permit the use of antibiotics or chemicals that are banned in any of the primary salmon producing or importing countries (for purposes of this standard, those countries are Norway, the UK, Canada, Chile, the United States, Japan and France). The Standard for instance also restricts the number of antibiotics treatment, and forbids the use of antibiotics listed as critically important for human medicine by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Certified farms are also requested to keep a a list of all potential therapeutants used in salmon production (including detailed information on all chemicals and therapeutants used during the most recent production cycle, the amounts used (including grammes per tonne of fish produced), the dates used, which group of fish were treated and against which diseases, proof of proper dosing etc.

Whilst there are no specific statements re. Formaldehyde (formalin), the Salmon Standard of course requests as a minimum that all farms operate within the regulatory framework, respect withholding periods etc. Not least does the standard also request that any/all (100%) of medication events be prescribed by a veterinarian (including Formaldehyde if used in that context/ as a therapeutant).

Furthermore, if you want to check which farms are currently certified by Name / Species / Country / Status, I encourage you to use the ASC website and the advanced Search facility: http://asc.force.com/Certificates/

Best regards,

Bertrand Charron

Science & Sustainability Communications Manager

Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)

HNK, Arthur van Schendelstraat 650 |3511 MJ Utrecht, The Netherlands

E: Bertrand.Charron@asc-aqua.org

Web: www.asc-aqua.org

On Twitter: @ASC_aqua

Scottish Salmon Watch reported in December 2020:

77% of Scottish salmon farms fail to meet the ASC's standard for certification – that's almost four out of every five sea sites exceeding 10% mortality! https://t.co/tPyBxvBlwJ
ASC-certified Scottish salmon is dead in the water!@ASC_aqua @Salmoskius @SSPOsays @ScotlandMowi pic.twitter.com/EInM56nTsM

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 7, 2020

Watch Chris Ninnes, CEO of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, on @BBCCountryfile hammer the nail in the coffin of Scottish salmon by demanding less than 10% mortality on @ASC_aqua certified farms – 77% of salmon farms cannot meet the mortality standard! @SSPOsays @ScotlandMowi pic.twitter.com/TZzuKoIXWB

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 8, 2020

The ASC's pledge to rule out certification for salmon farms reporting greater than 10% mortality leaves Mowi's commitment to 100% ASC-certification dead in the water along with dozens of other disease-ridden salmon farms across Scotland. Here's mortality data published by the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation – with cumulative mortality over the full production cycle (in the sea-phase) for all salmon farms harvested out in the last year (November 2019 to October 2020):

Out of 96 salmon farms which harvested out over the last twelve months (November 2019 to October 2020) only 22 would pass muster with the ASC's 10% mortality standard and a staggering 74 would fail – that's a pass rate of just 23% with 77% of salmon farms failing to meet the ASC standard.

If you focus on the 28 Mowi salmon farms which harvested out over the last year (SSPO data for November 2019 to October 2020) only one salmon farm (Sconser Quarry) reported cumulative mortality at less than 10% – with an average mortality rate of 24.4% (that's a quarter of all Mowi's farmed salmon dying a horrible death).

Only one out of 28 salmon farms harvested @rspcaassured Mowi over the last year would have passed the @ASC_aqua mortality standard of 10% – the average mortality rate was a staggering 24.4% with 39% death rate at the aptly named Muck salmon farm @ScotlandMowi @MowiScotlandLtd pic.twitter.com/465g30A5KQ

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 7, 2020

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council's commitment that 10%+ mortality will rule out certification @ASC_aqua would rule out @ScotlandMowi in Loch Ainort (Cairidh) & Linnhe (Gorsten) – not to mention most other salmon farms in Scotland! @SSPOsays @joe_crowley https://t.co/zBalDqlabc pic.twitter.com/MifaIuRr1E

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 7, 2020

Anyone for ASC-certified Mowi salmon sourced from @rspcaassured Stulaigh in Loch Eynort? @ASC_aqua @ScotlandMowi https://t.co/kU4qj5KTYs
Disease-ridden with a mortality rate of 36.8% – that's over a third of the fish in the sea cages dying a cruel death! https://t.co/u9Fk2kOkxz pic.twitter.com/khdvYbclTJ

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 8, 2020

"The most rigorous standards in the world" claims @ASC_aqua on @BBCCountryfile "an organisation who encorages responsible practices" claims @joe_crowley https://t.co/C51W8wp9cz
Errr so why does the ASC condone the use of carcinogenic Formaldehyde @ScotlandMowi in Loch Lochy? pic.twitter.com/4DhmVkFqFl

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 7, 2020

In 2015, I lambasted the Global Salmon Initiative's 'Sustainability Report':

"The whole concept of 'sustainable salmon farming' is an oxymoron. Put lipstick on a pig and it's still a pig."

Mowi is listed as one of the 'Funding Partners' in the Global Seafood Sustainability Initiative which has a 'Benchmarking Committee' (which includes salmon farming giant Petuna):

So when Mowi let slip via their 'Integrated Annual Report 2020' that they were now benchmarking against a 'Global Seafood Sustainability Initiative recognised standard' rather than the ASC (which don't forget Mowi/Marine Harvest were instrumental in funding, driving and watering down), Mowi was basically acknowledging the fact that not all their salmon farms can comply even with the hopelessly weak ASC standard!

What Mowi mean by GSSI recognised standards will have to be the subject of another blog – but looking at the GSSI's 'Recognized Certification' web-page it appears that Mowi has now widened the certification net to include Best Aquaculture Practices (from the industry-dominated Global Aquaculture Alliance which includes Cargill and Monsanto as founding members), Global GAP (which includes Tesco and Sainsbury's on its Integrity Surveillance Committee and is basically an industry/retailer group) and BIM Certified Quality Assurance in Ireland (which certifies 18 Mowi salmon farms although their certifications expired on 15 February 2021) as well as the ASC.

So it seems that Mowi has not only moved the certification goalposts but it has also managed to relax the rules even further by having four balls in play!

And you've guessed it, match-fixing Bruce Grobbelaar has been hired by Mowi to be the goalkeeper.

And in this analogy, corrupt referee Ibrahim Chaibou has been hired by Mowi to police the game.

To cover all their angles, Mowi have planted someone on the inside of the ASC.

And remember that the ASC is the spawn of the devil – a joint initiative between 'corrupt' WWF (who received money from Marine Harvest/Mowi – as best captured in the film 'Salmonopoly') and Marine Harvest (now Mowi) – and is still run by Mowi men. Just look at the 'Governance' of the ASC which reads like a Who's Who of Mowi/Marine Harvest.

In addition to Mowi's Oyvind Oaland, both Ally Dingwall and Jose Villalon used to work for Marine Harvest (Mowi) whilst Scott Nicholls used to work for DuPont peddling GM salmon feed! Petter Arnesen was also formerly employed by Marine Harvest as their "sustainability guru".

'Partners' of the ASC include salmon farming giant Cermaq and food giants Ahold, Edeka, ICA, Lidl, Loblaw, McDonald's (Germany), Metro, Migros, Spar, Target as well as Mowi and Nutreco (former owners of Marine Harvest):

Even more embarrassing then that Mowi Scotland is struggling to meet a standard which it helped write, lobby to make weaker and now effectively oversees!