Open Letter to the RSPCA & ASC – please stop certifying Scottish salmon as “responsibly farmed”!

Dear Don, 

Thank you for your recent letter.

We agree that there are many challenges facing salmon farming – as there are with terrestrial farming. Therefore we are working hard with RSPCA Assured members, the wider salmon industry and academics to find ways to tackle these issues, for example the challenge of disease and sea lice outbreaks. 

Some of them aren't easy to resolve but animal welfare is our absolute priority and, as an animal welfare charity, we are duty-bound to keep doing all we can to help improve the welfare of all animals, including salmon.  

That's why the RSPCA chose to develop around 500 standards aimed solely at improving the welfare of farmed salmon at every stage of their life. These standards have been a catalyst for change throughout the entire salmon industry, not just on RSPCA Assured certified farms.

But there is still much work to be done. Whilst we don’t have answers to all of the challenges at present, we are continually working with the salmon industry, retailers and experts to look at further ways to enhance the welfare of fish and reduce the risk of sea lice infestations and disease. We won’t give up trying to bring about further welfare improvements.

RSPCA Assured is a charity and, as explained to you previously, we do not profit from salmon farming. Our sole mission is to help improve farm animal welfare. 

You may not agree with us but we hope this helps explain why we are involved in salmon farming. We firmly stand by the approach we have taken, as it has helped bring about many significant improvements to the welfare of many millions of farmed salmon and will continue to do so. 

If we walked away from the salmon industry because of challenges like sea lice and disease, it could result in many millions of fish being reared to lower standards and an increase in health and disease problems. And, as an animal welfare charity, we will not turn our back on helping improve the lives of all farm animals.

Kind regards

RSPCA Assured

Malcolm Johnstone, aquaculture manager for the @rspcaassured farm animal welfare programme, is to stand down from the role next week after 16 years https://t.co/jCraeXgElw
What a legacy! @ciwf @philip_ciwf @onekindtweet @RSPCAChris @ChrisGPackham @Animallawyersuk @animal_equality pic.twitter.com/6i2jphv2uu

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 12, 2022