Organic Scamon: Ocado Challenged Over Mowi’s ‘Responsibly’ Farmed Salmon – 100% Bullshit not 100% Scottish!

Ocado spoof

 

 

 

Ocado – the online supermarket – is being challenged by Scamon Scotland to prove the green credentials of Mowi's "responsible" Scottish salmon which is certified by the Soil Association as 'organic'. 

 

Ocado organic #2

 

 

 

The Grocer reported yesterday (2 February 2022) on Ocado's "commitment to sustainability" in an article promoting Mowi's 'organic' Scottish salmon (even though a class action lawsuit settled by Mowi for $1.3 million last year in the United States prevented the use of "sustainably sourced" marketing of Mowi's salmon):

Ocado organic #6

Ocado organic #7

Ocado organic #8

Ocado organic #9

 

 

Scamon Scotland today (3 February 2022) asked Ocado to substantiate their advertising and marketing claims over 'Mowi Organic Salmon Fillets' and 'Mowi Organic Smoked Salmon' on sale online:

 

 

Ocado organic #4

 

 

Ocado organic #13

 

 

 

Ocado's 'Product Information' used to promote the 'beautiful' Scottish salmon claims that "MOWI Organic salmon fillets are 100% Scottish and raised responsibly in the cool, clear coastal waters off the West of Scotland".  Ocado further claims that Mowi 'organic' salmon is "independently and regularly audited to ensure a responsible use of the environment":

 

Ocado organic #14

 

 

Ocado is also advertising and marketing "responsibly sourced" 'BigFish Organic' salmon fillets for online shoppers (although there is a Union Jack flag with the 'produced with pride' tagline it is not known if this product is Scottish, Irish or even Norwegian – indeed the lack of country of origin labelling is a breach of the law):

 

Ocado organic #16 Ocado organic #15

Ocado organic #17

 

 

Sainsbury's also advertises and markets – falsely in the view of Scamon Scotland – 'organic' Scottish salmon as "in harmony with nature" and "responsibly sourced" via online shopping: 

 

Sainsburys Organic #1

Sainsburys Organic #2

 

In November 2021, Scottish Salmon Watch filed complaints against supermarkets – including Sainsbury's – for breaches of advertising and trading standards over claims of "responsibly sourced" and "responsibly farmed" Scottish salmon (including products sourced from Mowi Scotland).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last month, The Pished Fish deleted their advertising and marketing claims of "sustainable" Scottish salmon following a complaint by Scottish Salmon Watch:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last month (6 January 2021) Scottish Salmon Watch wrote to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council asking that their "farmed responsibly" certification be withdrawn from all Scottish salmon farms (all operated by Mowi).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ferret 5 April 2019 #2 Don & Guy quotes

Photo of Badcall doctored with stickers

 
 
 
 
 
The Daily Telegraph reported in November 2021:
 

Telegraph 2 Nov 2021 #1

Telegraph 2 Nov 2021 #2

Telegraph 2 Nov 2021 #3

Telegraph 2 Nov 2021 #4

Telegraph 2 Nov 2021 #5

 

 

It seems Mowi's 'organic' status at their lice-infested Loch Harport site is under threat too.  A post on Facebook yesterday (2 February 2022) linked to an article in Salmon Business headlined "Mowi salmon farm stripped of organic status":

 

Ocado organic #10

 

 

If you click on the Salmon Business article link, however, it says the article is no longer available:

 

Ocado organic #11

 

 

An article posted on The Fish Site yesterday (2 February 2022) – and swiftly pulled down – named the Mowi salmon farm losing 'organic' status as Loch Harport:

 

Ocado organic #12

 

 

 

 

Salmon Business reported this morning (3 February 2022) on Ocado's new 'organic' Scottish salmon with Mowi's Head of Sales claiming that Mowi and Ocado had a "mutual interest in sustainability":

 

Ocado organic #18

Ocado organic #19

 

 

Fish Farming Expert reported in December 2021 that Mowi has four 'organic' salmon farms in Scotland (Invasion Bay, Harport, Sconser and Leven):
 
 
 
Invasion Bay organic #1
Invasion Bay organic #2 Invasion Bay organic #3

 
 
 
Scottish Salmon Watch revealed last month that despite 'organic' accreditation – or certification via the Aquaculture Stewardship Council – salmon farms across Scotland are using toxic chemicals such as the shellfish-killing chemicals Azamethiphos, Deltamethrin, Hydrogen peroxide and Emamectin benzoate.
 
 
 
 

Data published online via 'Scotland's Aquaculture' shows the scale of toxic chemical use on salmon farms acrosss Scotland.    Since January 2018 (data up to September 2018) there have been 198 doses of Deltamethrin (a lobster-killing chemical with a lethal range of up to 39km!), 669 doses of the organophosphate Azamethiphos (another chemical shown by peer-reviewed science to kill shellfish) and a staggering 868 doses of Emamectin benzoate (shown by SEPA scientists to be a crustacean-killer).   Here's the highest reported monthly uses of Deltamethrin and Azamethiphos since January 2018 (data up to September 2021) with Mowi's 'organic' salmon farm at MacLeans Nose and in Loch Harport (Portnalong) featuring prominently:

 

New data Jan 2022 #1 Deltamethrin worst since Jan 2018

 

New data Jan 2022 #2 Az worst since Jan 2018

 

 

Toxic Mowi

 
 
 
The data published online via Scotland's Aquaculture (download Excel spreadsheet via clicking on CSV Export) shows repeated doses of toxic chemicals.  Mowi's 'organic' and ASC-certified salmon farm at MacLeans Nose in Loch Sunart has reported a crustacean-killing 23 doses of toxic chemicals since January 2018 including the triple whammy of Azamethiphos, Deltamethrin and Emamectin benzoate use in August 2021 and 10 doses of toxic chemicals in the first nine months of 2021:
 

Toxic blog Jan 2022 #27

 

 

Toxic blog Jan 2022 #28

 

 
 
 
Mowi's other 'organic' salmon farm in Loch Sunart at Invasion Bay used 13 doses of toxic chemicals between January 2019 and June 2021 including lobster-killing Deltamethrin and crustacean-killing Emamectin benzoate:
 
 

Host blog chemicals #13 Invasion

 

 

Th escalating use of toxic chemicals blows out of the water claims of 'organic' and "responsible" salmon farming.  Mowi's 'organic' salmon farm at  MacLeans Nose salmon farm in Loch Sunart used more Azamethiphos, Deltamethrin and Emamectin in the first nine months of 2021 (21,391 grams) compared to the whole of 2020 and 2019 combined (19,849 grams):

 

Mowi #7 MacLeans Nose

 
 
 
 
 
Scamon Scotland reported earlier this morning on Mowi's false claims – made by the manager of the 'organic' salmon farms in Loch Sunart (MacLeans Nose and Invasion Bay) on BBC's Grand Tours of Scotland's Lochs broadcast on Sunday – that it is "hardly doing any chemical treatments at all".
 

 
 
 
 
Scottish Salmon Watch wrote to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council last month (6 January 2022) asking them to withdraw ASC certification for Mowi's "farmed responsibly" Scottish salmon (including at Mowi's 'organic' salmon farms at MacLeans Nose and Invasion Bay in Loch Sunart).
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
Scottish Salmon Watch looked at the lice data again in January 2022 for publication in a letter to the ASC – according to the Scottish Government's lice data (published online here), there were 69 cases of Mowi breaching 1 lice per fish at ASC-certified salmon farms (Linnhe, Leven, Marulaig Bay, Stulaigh, Gorsten, Harport, Rum and Invasion Bay) and salmon farms currently being audited by the ASC (Caolas a Deas West and East, Camus Glas, Alsh, Groatay, Grey Horse Channel, Duich, Greanem and Ardintoul).  Here's the worst 40 – with Mowi's 'organic' salmon farm in Loch Harport featuring prominently with repeated lice breaches throughout 2021:
 
 

Lice data 2021 up to Nov Mowi sites #4

Lice data 2021 up to Nov Mowi sites #5

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

Peer-reviewed scientific research has reported that Deltamethrin is acutely toxic to shellfish.  Alphamax is the trade name for the toxic chemical Deltamethrin – shown by peer-reviewed science to be lethal to shellfish and labelled by the chemical manufacturer as a 'Marine Pollutant'.    An article – "The impact of anti-sea lice pesticides, azamethiphos and deltamethrin, on European lobster (Homarus gammarus) larvae in the Norwegian marine environment" – published in scientific journal Environmental Pollution in September 2020 reported:

 

Parsons paper 2020 #1

 

Parsons paper 2020 #3

Parsons paper 2020 #3

 

 

The Institute of Marine Research in Bergen, Norway, reported in September 2020:

 

Deltamethrin IMR 2020 #1

Deltamethrin IMR 2020 #2

 

 
 
 
 
How can the use of a lobster-killing toxic chemical in the marine environment – close to shellfish habitat and commercial fisheries – ever be considered 'responsible' let alone certified as 'organic' by the Soil Association? 
 
 
Blog Jan 2020 #41
 
 
 
 
 
 
At least BBC journalist John Humphrys hasn't swallowed Mowi's bullshit – although he did swim in the untreated effluents and waste contamination under a Mowi salmon farm in Loch Sunart (as detailed in his book 'The Great Food Gamble').  Fish Farmer reported in August 2019:
 
 
Humphrys dive
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ocado's claim on their website that "MOWI Organic salmon fillets are 100% Scottish" is pure bullshit too.   Scottish Salmon Watch reported in July 2021 that Mowi imported smolts from Ireland for their 'organic' salmon farm at Sconser.
 

 
 
 

'Case Information' slipped out by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate revealed that the origin of Mowi's '100% Scottish' organic salmon was 100% Irish (and the ova – salmon eggs – used to source the smolts may well have originally been imported from Iceland or Norway).

 

Salmondemic blog July 2021 #21 Mowi Sconser Ireland

 

Sconser Ireland #1
Sconser Ireland #2
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
The FOI disclosure from the Scottish Government also revealed that 582,000 salmon smolts were imported from Ireland in April 2020 to on-grow on Norwegian-owned Mowi's 'organic' salmon farms in Loch Harport and Sconser on the Isle of Skye:
 
 
Sconser Ireland #3
 
 
 
 
So the "100% Scottish" salmon from Mowi - advertised and marketed by Ocado to online shoppers – is clearly misleading and represents a breach of trading and advertising standards.   
 
 
Mowi Pure Bullshit
 
Mowi Irresponsibly Farmed
 
Mowi Pioneering Reprehensible Farming Utter Shit since 1964 #3
 
 
 
 
 
 
Scottish salmon is a scam, sham and a consumer con. 
 
 

 
 
 
 
Despite the scam that is 'organic' salmon farming – so eloquently skewered by award-winning food writer Joanna Blythman back in 2006 in The Observer – the expansion of salmon farms certified via the Soil Association (criticised back in 2006 for their support of salmon farming in a BBC Newsnight investigation) is growing.  
 
 

 
 
 
 
Scottish Salmon Watch reported in October 2021 that 'organic' salmon farming production almost trebled in a year (data for 2021 – expected to be published in September – will presumably show a further increase):

 

 

 

The scam that is 'organic' Scottish salmon – aka 'organic scamon' – has almost trebled in a year: increasing from 4,462 tonnes of 'organic' salmon reported in 2019 to 12,528 tonnes in 2020.  That's a leap of 181% in a single year!    The 'Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey 2020' – published by the Scottish Government on 30 September 2021 – details:

 

2020 Scottish Fish Farm Survey

 

2020 Scottish Fish Farm Survey #4

 

 
 
 
 
Scottish Salmon Watch reported in March 2021: 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 

National Geographic reported in September 2021:

 

Nat Geo 24 Sept 2021 #1

Nat Geo 24 Sept 2021 #2

Nat Geo 24 Sept 2021 #2

Nat Geo 24 Sept 2021 #3

 

 
 
 
 
 
Scottish Salmon Watch reported in March 2021:  
 

 
 
 
 

Fish Farming Expert reported (19 March 2021):

 

Ducktrap settlement blog March 2021 #10

Ducktrap settlement blog March 2021 #11

 

 

Intrafish reported (18 March 2021):

 

Ducktrap settlement blog March 2021 #4

Ducktrap settlement blog March 2021 #5

 

 

 

Intrafish's Drew Cherry wrote (18 March 2021):

 

Ducktrap settlement blog March 2021 #12

Ducktrap settlement blog March 2021 #13

Ducktrap settlement blog March 2021 #14

Ducktrap settlement blog March 2021 #15

 
 

 
 

 

 

 

Scamon Scotland submitted a complaint earlier this morning with Ocado.

 

Ocado organic #20 complaint

Before filing a formal complaint with Trading and Advertising Standards, could Ocado please provide specific details to substantiate your claims about Mowi's 'Organic' Smoked Salmon marketed online via:

https://www.ocado.com/products/mowi-organic-smoked-salmon-576903011?ds_rl=1291426&ds_rl=1291531&gclid=Cj0KCQiA9OiPBhCOARIsAI0y71DvcTJ3NJ4jOx97DaUE_aIyAbf1zMjZpdvVrjPvBRSsYFCxGFmytE4aApBrEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Ocado claims under 'Product Information' that Mowi's 'organic' salmon is "independently and regularly audited to ensure a responsible use of the environment". 

Scamon Scotland understands that the Scottish Environment Protection Agency no longer conducts environmental monitoring surveys or audits of salmon farms – please read:

https://theferret.scot/fish-farm-pollution-rules-relaxed-brexit/

https://theferret.scot/environmental-rules-salmon-farming-relaxed/

In fact, there is no published data on environmental monitoring surveys since March 2020:

http://aquaculture.scotland.gov.uk/data/environmental_monitoring_surveys.aspx

And there is no published data on environmental surveys for chemical residues under salmon farms since July 2020: http://aquaculture.scotland.gov.uk/data/sealice_in_feed_treatment_residues.aspx

If Ocado is referring to RSPCA, ASC or Soil Association audits these are not independent as they are industry schemes which are no more than greenwashing the toxic salmon farming industry:

https://donstaniford.com/rspca-compromised-by-cash-industry-bias/

https://donstaniford.com/open-letter-to-the-asc-please-cancel-all-certification-of-toxic-scottish-salmon-/

https://donstaniford.com/toxic-salmon-corrodes-soil-association-principles/

Ocado's claim that Mowi's organic salmon is "100% Scottish" is undermined by the fact that ca. 90% of 'Scottish' salmon is sourced from ova (eggs) imported from Iceland, Ireland and Norway and the fact that Mowi imports smolts from Ireland to on-grow on 'organic' salmon farms at Sconser and Harport on the Isle of Skye.

The suggestion by Ocado that Mowi's 'organic' Scottish salmon are "raised responsibly" is simply not true and demands clear evidence from Ocado to back up the green claims. 

The implication is that Ocado's Mowi 'organic' Scottish salmon is environmentally friendly and sustainable (as detailed in yesterday's Grocer article: https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/new-product-development/premium-salmon-brand-mowi-launches-organic-lines-on-ocado/664095.article).  However, the claim of sustainability for Scottish salmon is unfounded and was debased by a ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority back in 2019: https://theferret.scot/loch-duart-sustainable-advertising/

And just last year in the United States, Mowi settled a class action lawsuit which stopped the marketing of "sustainably sourced"  Mowi salmon for 2 years: https://donstaniford.com/mowi-settles-class-action-lawsuit-for-13-million-/

Just last month, online Scottish salmon retailer The Pished Fish deleted their "sustainable" claims following a complaint by Scottish Salmon Watch: https://donstaniford.com/scamon-alert-the-pished-fish-challenged-over-sustainably-sourced-scottish-salmon/

In November 2021, Mowi's "responsibly farmed" Scottish salmon (as sold via Tesco and Sainsbury's) was the subject of complaints filed with Trading and Advertising Standards:

https://donstaniford.com/gotcha-mowis-responsibly-farmed-scottish-salmon-caught-in-advertising-standards-net-/

https://donstaniford.com/irresponsibly-farmed-scottish-salmon-complaints-filed-vs-supermarkets-with-advertising-trading-stand/

Further background is detailed via a blog published this morning via:

"Organic Scamon: Ocado Challenged Over Mowi's 'Organic' Credentials – 100% Bullshit not 100% Scottish!": https://donstaniford.com/organic-scamon-ocado-challenged-over-mowis-organic-credentials-/

Please respond within 7 days or Scamon Scotland will file formal complaints with Trading and Advertising Standards.

Thanks,

Don Staniford

Director, Scamon Scotland

 

Mowi is madness #3 Norway flag

 

 

 

Here's an automated reply from Ocado: 

From: Ocado Customer Services <ocado@ocado.com>
Date: Thu, Feb 3, 2022 at 11:33 AM
Subject: RE: I'd like to make a complaint REF: ##32274402##
To: <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>

Hello,

Thanks for getting in touch with Ocado.

This is an automated message to confirm we have received your email and we’ll do our best to get back to you within 24 hours.

If you have any additional information that you think will help us to assist you, please feel free to reply to this email.

Best wishes,

Ocado Customer Service team

 

 

Ecohustler stickers on Mowi salmon

 

 

From: Ocado Customer Services <ocado@ocado.com>
Date: Thu, Feb 3, 2022 at 7:17 PM
Subject: RE: I'd like to make a complaint REF: ##32274402##
To: <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>
Hello,

Thank you for your reply, your email is on its way to our team of advisors. We’ll do our best to get back in touch within 24 hours.

Best wishes,

Ocado Customer Service Team

Chat & Help ocado.com/contactus | Tweet @ocado | facebook.com/ocado

 
 
 
 
From: Ocado Customer Services <ocado@ocado.com>
Date: Sat, Feb 5, 2022 at 10:53 AM
Subject: RE: I'd like to make a complaint REF: ##32274402##
To: <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>

Good morning Mr Staniford,

I just wanted to let you know I haven't forgotten about this – I'm still waiting for a response from our team.

If I haven't heard anything by Monday I will chase this up for you.

If there's anything else I can do in the meantime, just let me know.

Kind regards,

Emily Lonsdale
Ocado Customer Service Team

 

 

 

 

 

From: Ocado Customer Services <ocado@ocado.com>
Date: Mon, Feb 7, 2022 at 11:59 AM
Subject: RE: I'd like to make a complaint REF: ##32274402##
To: <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>

Good afternoon Mr Staniford,

I hope this email finds you well.

I have received the following statement from our team:

Hi there. Thank you for getting in touch and making us aware of your concerns. Having investigated together with the supplier, we can confirm that all organic salmon from Mowi is sourced from farms that are fully accredited by the Soil Association. Rest assured, we have very high standards for all our suppliers when it comes to the welfare of animals. If you have any specific queries relating to Mowi products, we'd suggest you contact them directly. Many thanks.

I hope this satisfies your query. If there's anything else I can do for you, please let me know.

Kind regards,

Emily Lonsdale
Ocado Customer Service Team

ocado.com/contactus | 0345 656 1234 | @ocado | facebook.com/ocado
Please include reference number ##32274402## in all email correspondence.

 

 

 

From: Don Staniford <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Feb 7, 2022 at 12:52 PM
Subject: Re: I'd like to make a complaint REF: ##32274402##
To: Ocado Customer Services <ocado@ocado.com>
 
Thanks for your reply.  However, your response fails to address the concerns raised in our complaint last week; as detailed via:
 
Specifically, Ocado has failed to substantiate the claims on your website that:
 
"MOWI Organic salmon fillets are 100% Scottish and raised responsibly".
 
As detailed in our complaint, Mowi 'organic' salmon is imported as smolts from Ireland and is sourced from ova (eggs) which are not Scottish.  Neither is Mowi salmon "raised responsibly" (Scottish Salmon Watch detailed extensive documentation on this issue in complaints to Trading and Advertising Standards in November 2021).
 
Ocado has failed to provide any evidential information at all on the false claim that Mowi 'organic' salmon is "100% Scottish" and "raised responsibly".  To pass the buck onto Mowi – who does not reply to emails – is simply unacceptable.  Ocado is the advertiser making green claims and you have patently failed to substantiate them which, Scamon Scotland believes, is a breach of the green claims code. 
 
Furthermore, as detailed in our complaint last week, Scamon Scotland takes issue with Ocado's marketing claim that: "MOWI organic salmon (and their feed) is fully traceable plus independent and regularly audited to ensure a responsible use of the environment".
 
The Soil Association profits from certification of farmed salmon as 'organic' even if it is lice-infested and it is farmed via the use of toxic chemicals.  Nor has the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) – the one truly independent agency responsible for auditing environmental impacts – regularly or recently conducted any environmental monitoring surveys or concluded in any shape or form that Mowi is responsible.
 
In fact, The Ferret and Sunday National reported yesterday that SEPA has not been able to perform their environmental functions for years due to a cyber attack: https://theferret.scot/pollution-data-lost-cyber-attack/
 
 
At the end of this week, Scamon Scotland will therefore be filing a formal complaint with Trading and Advertising Standards.  If Ocado wishes to reconsider and provide the substantive documentation requested then it would be still much appreciated.  If Ocado cannot provide the substantiation requested then editing your website's marketing and advertising claims accordingly would be a corrective step to this complaint.
 
 
Thanks,
 
Don Staniford
 
Director, Scamon Scotland

 

 

From: Don Staniford <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Feb 8, 2022 at 10:22 AM
Subject: Re: I'd like to make a complaint REF: ##32274402##
To: Ocado Customer Services <ocado@ocado.com>
 
I strongly suggest your 'team' revisit your response and look at the 'Green Claims Code' published by the Competition and Markets Agency in September 2021:
 
The onus is clearly on Ocado – as the online retailer – to correct the misleading claims of Mowi's products. 
 
 
Best fishes,
 
Don

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read more via:

Mowi's Pure Bullshit (#1 in a regular series): "hardly any chemical treatments at all"

Victory: The Pished Fish Sobers Up to False Claims Over "Sustainable" Scottish Salmon!

Scamon Alert: The Pished Fish Challenged Over "Sustainably Sourced" Scottish Salmon

Greenwashing 'Sustainable' Salmon – how supermarkets brand themselves as "responsible" via ClientEarth!

Supermarkets Investigated by Competition and Markets Authority – "Responsibly Farmed/Sourced" Green Claims Questioned!

Bullshit Called on M&S's "Responsibly Sourced" Scottish Salmon!

Irresponsibly Farmed Scottish Salmon – Complaints Filed Vs Supermarkets with Advertising & Trading Standards!

Media Backgrounder: Irresponsibly Farmed Scottish Salmon

Telegraph: "Cop26 organisers roasted for serving ‘environmentally unfriendly’ salmon"

Scottish 'Organic' Scamon Leaps 181% – 4,462 tonnes to 12,528 tonnes from 2019 to 2020!

National Geographic: "Why you might not be getting the salmon you paid for"

Mowi Caught Importing 'Organic' Smolts from Ireland to On-Grow on Skye – did they follow the SSPO's code & quarantine for three months?

'Organic' Salmon Fit for the Queen? Not Even Fit for Her Dogs!

Net Tightens on Lawsuits vs 'Salmafia' – Cooke "unable to quash lawsuit over deceptive marketing practices"

 
 
 

Mowi Settles Class Action Lawsuit for $1.3 million – prohibited from using phrases "sustainably sourced" & "all natural"

Toxic Salmon Corrodes Soil Association's 'Organic' Principles

Scottish salmon is so not organic!

Organic Salmon Belongs in the Bin Not Your Shopping Basket!

Norwegian Government Asked to Divest from 'Unethical' & 'Irresponsible' Scottish Salmon!

Dutch TV slams "organic" salmon

EXPOSED: Scottish 'Organic' Scamon

Organic” farmed salmon – let’s get real

Loch Duart drops "sustainable" claim after advertising ruling

Organic Scamon – The Greenwashing of Toxic Farmed Salmon

Why organic salmon is causing a nasty smell

Concern over organic salmon farms

"Organically Farmed Salmon Is An Oxymoron" (The Organic Standard, 2001)

 

 

 

 

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