Mowi's Nightmare Before Xmas - The Unlucky 13

Data published last week by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate fleshes out Mowi's nightmare 2019 with 1.36 million dead salmon in 112 'Mortality Event Reports'. Here's the 13 worst Mowi salmon farms in terms of mass mortalities during 2019 (data up to the end of October):

Mowi's salmon farm at Bagh Dail nan Ceann (Bay of the Dead Heads) in the Argyll Coast & Islands Hope Spot reported 247,718 dead salmon in five incidents in 2019 (all in September & October) with Pasteurella skyensis, complex gill disease, Cardiomyopathy Syndrome, Amoebic Gill Disease and a Hydrogen Peroxide treatment cited as reasons for mortalities:

When Scottish Salmon Watch visited Mowi's Bagh Dail Nan Ceann salmon farm in early July 2019 there were visible health challenges with dead and dying lumpfish littering the surface.

Shocking video footage of salmon mortalities at 'Bay of the Dead Heads' in September 2019 was posted by diver David Ainsley.

Mowi reported (30 October 2019):

The Sunday National & Ferret reported (10 November 2019):

Mowi's salmon farm at MacLean's Nose in Loch Sunart reported 140,873 dead salmon in six incidents in 2019 (all in May) with Cardiomyopathy Syndrome cited as the reason for mortalities (it appears that Mowi may not have reported the incidents immediately):

Mowi's salmon farm at Camas Glas in Loch Sunart reported 128,361 dead salmon in three incidents in 2019 (all in October) with Pasteurella skyensis cited as the reason for mortalities:

Mowi's salmon farm at Poll na Gille in Loch Shuna reported 114,514 dead salmon in five incidents in 2019 (all in September & October) with Anaemia, Pasteurella skyensis, complex gill disease, treatment losses and Hydrolicer treatments cited as reasons for mortalities:

Mowi's Poll na Gille salmon farm was rated worst salmon farm in Scotland in a welfare report by OneKind in 2018 (Mowi's neighbouring salmon farm at Bagh Dail nan Ceann was rated the second worst along with MacLean's Nose).

Video footage of dead salmon at Mowi's Poll na Gille salmon farm was posted by David Ainsley in 2017:

BBC Panorama broadcast video footage from under Mowi's Poll na Gille salmon farm in May 2019:

Read more background on Mowi's Poll na Gille, Port na Cro and Bagh Dail nan Ceann salmon farm online here

Mowi's salmon farm at SW Shuna (also known as Rubh'an Trilleachain and owned by Kames Fish Farming) reported 95,590 dead salmon in six incidents in 2019 (all in September & October) with complex gill disease, Pasteurella skyensis and Hydrolicer treatment cited as reasons for mortalities:

When Scottish Salmon Watch visited Mowi's SW Shuna (Rubh'an Trilleachain) salmon farm in July 2019 we saw diseased cleaner fish and salmon:

Read more via a letter sent in July 2019 to Police Scotland and the Animal & Plant Health Agency online here and a media backgrounder online here

Mowi's salmon farm off the Isle of Muck reported 92,164 dead salmon in eight incidents in 2019 (one incident failed to provide data on numbers of morts) with Pancreas Disease, compromised gill health, complex gill disease and treatment losses cited as reasons for mortalities:

Mowi's salmon farm at Ardintoul in Loch Alsh Special Area of Conservation reported 77,802 dead salmon in four incidents in 2019 (all in October) with Amoebic Gill Disease, complex gill disease, anaemia and Thermolicer treatment losses cited as reasons for mortalities:

Last month, Scottish Salmon Watch visited Mowi's disease-ridden salmon farm at Ardintoul.

Read more via "Mowi's Ghoul* at Ardintoul"

Mowi's salmon farm off the Isle of Rum reported 64,699 dead salmon in eight incidents in 2019 (a further 37,000 were cited in additional information) with Cardiomyopathy Syndrome, compromised gill health and treatment losses cited as reasons for mortalities:

Here's gruesome photos of welfare abuse and disease problems at Mowi's farm off the Isle of Rum published online by the Scottish Government on 10 September 2019:

Mowi's salmon farm in Loch Seaforth on the Isle of Harris reported 58,854 dead salmon in five incidents in 2019 (the mortalities took place in 2018 but it seems that they were first reported by the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation) with Anaemia, Amoebic Gill Disease and hydrogen peroxide treatment losses cited as reasons for mortalities:

Mowi's salmon farm at North Shore in Loch Erisort reported 50,521 dead salmon in three incidents in 2019 with Pancreas Disease, complex gill disease and anaemia cited as reasons for mortalities (expect more information to come when the Fish Health Inspectorate publishes their report):

In 2018, The Daily Mail reported on mass mortalities in Loch Erisort due to Pasteurella skyensis:

Mowi's salmon farm at Soay on the Isle of Harris reported 36,372 dead salmon in five incidents in 2019 with gill health, Cardiomyopathy Syndrome and treatment loss following Salmosan (Azamethiphos) cited as reasons for mortalities:

In 2016, Mowi's Soay salmon farm lost 60,000 fish following a hydrogen peroxide treatment.

Mowi's salmon farm at Port na Cro in Loch Shuna reported 34,639 dead salmon in five incidents in 2019 (three in October) with Anaemia, complex gill disease, post treatment and Pasteurella skyensis cited as reasons for mortalities:

In May 2019, the Scottish Government revealed that Mowi's Port na Cro salmon farm was the subject of the ONLY unannounced inspection of a sea-cage salmon farm by Marine Scotland in 2018 (following a complaint to the European Commission on the use of Acoustic Deterrent Devices).

Mowi's salmon farm at Ardgour in Loch Linnhe reported 34,052 dead salmon in two incidents in 2019 (both in August) with Cardiomyopathy Syndrome and Pasteurella skyensis cited as reasons for mortality (with a Thermolicer treatment suspected of exacerbating mortality):

When Scottish Salmon Watch visited Mowi's salmon farm at Ardgour in Loch Linnhe in early July 2019 the site was already being harvested out.

Mowi's salmon farm off the Isle of Ewe reported 24,422 dead salmon in 2019 in five separate incidents in 2019 (all in March) with Anaemia cited as a reason for mortalities:

Scottish Salmon Watch visited Mowi's soon-to-be-closed Loch Ewe salmon farm in November 2018 filming nauseating video footage of disease-ridden salmon:

And expect to hear more about problems at Mowi's salmon farm off the Isle of Colonsay with "severe active heart and skeletal muscle damage associated with Pancreas Disease" reported in late October 2019 with a visit by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate scheduled for early November 2019: