Mowi has not reported a seal killed at Groatay since March 2018 - how can a loose bullet casing survive over 4 years on a stormy salmon pen?!

Which is more likely: a) Mowi killing a seal illegally? or b) a loose bullet casing staying on the Groatay salmon farm in stormy North Uist waters for over 4 years?https://t.co/GGy9YBZKHZ @MowiScotlandLtd @marinescotland @ScotlandSalmon @PoliceScotland @rspcaassured @FerretScot pic.twitter.com/93cx1eyANJ

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 1, 2022

$camon $cotland has ground-truthed claims by Mowi's director of communications (Ian Roberts) that the "loose bullet casing" found during an inspection of Mowi's Groatay salmon farm in North Uist in July 2022 was "several years old" – if Mowi's claims are true then the bullet would have had to survive three harsh Winters and maybe a dozen storms since Mowi last reported a seal killed at Groatay salmon farm in March 2018!

Mowi's director of comms spinning away a bullet found on @MowiScotlandLtd's salmon cage in July (after the ban on killing seals): "The bullet casing was severely degraded & appeared to be several years old" https://t.co/zNRDuOb6pL #bollocks @ScotlandSalmon @marinescotland pic.twitter.com/xjOanx5ZyB

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 1, 2022

Official statistics on seals killed by salmon farmers since 2011 are published by the Scottish Government online here

Here is data for 2020 which show that Mowi reported 15 seals killed at sites in Kilbrannan Sound (Eilean Grianain/Carradale), Loch Shell on the Isle of Lewis (Caolas a Deas), Loch Ewe (Isle of Ewe), Colonsay, Loch a Choire/Loch Linnhe (Kingairloch), Isle of Skye (Sconser Quarry, Sconser & Harport), Isle of Barra (Hellisay) but none at Groatay salmon farm or any other sites in North Uist [remember that in June 2020 the Scottish Government announced plans to ban the killing of seals by salmon farms – a ban which came into force on 1 February 2021]:

Here is official seal killing data at Mowi (Marine Harvest) salmon farms in 2019 – including 24 seals killed at salmon farms off the Isle of Lewis (Tabhaigh and North Shore in Loch Erisort), Sound of Jura (BDNC), Loch Alsh (Ardintoul), Isle of Skye (Sconser, Greshornish & Maol Ban), Isle of Muck, Isle of Colonsay, Loch Ewe (Isle Ewe), Loch Sunart (Camas Glas), Loch Torridon and Kilbrannan Sound (Eilean Grianain/Carradale) – but none at Groatay salmon farm:

Here is official seal killing data for 2018 which shows that Mowi (then called Marine Harvest – the company changed their name in 2019 due to "negative consumer perception" in the name Marine Harvest) reported a seal killed at Groatay salmon farm on 19 March 2018:

A Fish Health Inspectorate report for an inspection of Mowi's Groatay salmon farm in July 2022 – recently slipped out by the Scottish Government – detailed how a "loose bullet casing" was found on the walkway of pen 32:

Here's video from the Summer of 2020 of a crushed salmon cage https://t.co/mwyML7Ql95
How can Mowi seriously claim a "loose bullet casing" can survive three Winters & dozens of storms on an exposed walkway in North Uist? @MowiScotlandLtd @ScotlandSalmon https://t.co/GGy9YBZKHZ pic.twitter.com/Y0XoPYdFoF

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 1, 2022

Scottish Salmon Watch reported in February 2021:

Named & Shamed: Salmon farmers killed over 1,000 seals since 2011. Don't buy Scottish salmon stained with the blood of Scotland's seals! https://t.co/Y3kY2D6BoI @SSPOsays @scotseafarms @salmon_scottish @ScotlandMowi @LochDuartSalmon @CookeScotland @GriegShetland @rspcaassured pic.twitter.com/BWOFSl1mTa

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 27, 2021

Whistleblower on RSPCA Assured salmon farmer killing seals illegally: "I know an insider at Mowi who confirms the company shoots a lot more seals than what they report" @ScotlandMowi "Plenty goes unreported" @MowiScotlandLtd @marinescotland @rspcaassured https://t.co/Y3kY2D6BoI pic.twitter.com/c8aKR6iz28

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 26, 2021

The Sunday Times reported in 2017:

Mowi's boss in Scotland, Ben Hadfield, told The Times in 2017: "If seals keep attacking the fish, then, like a farmer kills foxes, we shoot them" @timesscotland @DailyMirror @MowiScotlandLtd @ScotlandSalmon @marinescotland @rspcaassured @ASC_aqua https://t.co/kx9QJrZEhV #Mowi pic.twitter.com/C7XCSHiKkn

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 1, 2022