Scottish Scamon: Piscine Reovirus, skin lesions/boils & "hanging" salmon in Loch Creran (sold by M&S as "responsibly sourced" & certified via RSPCA Assured)!

Gotcha: Secret filming inside @scotseafarms in Loch Creran in July triggered an inspection @scotgov revealing welfare & disease problems with Piscine Reovirus, Heart & Skeletal Muscle Inflammation, exothalmia & "hanging" salmon @rspcaassured @ScotlandSalmon @marksandspencer pic.twitter.com/VFWuJqmRF1

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 29, 2022

'Case Information' slipped out by the Scottish Government earlier this week (25 October 2022), exposes the scam of "responsibly sourced" Scottish salmon certified via RSPCA Assured and sold by Marks & Spencer.

Teaser: Which @rspcaassured salmon farm – and supplier of "responsibly sourced" Scottish salmon @marksandspencer – are these eye-popping beauties from? @ScotlandSalmon @TavishScott @SSC_seafood @ClientEarth @LeroySeafood @scotseafarms @marinescotland https://t.co/2sBrJXv2dj pic.twitter.com/k8hqkSZynM

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 28, 2022

Here's the Fish Health Inspectorate's report detailing an inspection on 18 July 2022 (triggered by a welfare complaint by $camon $cotland who filmed welfare abuse inside the salmon farm operated by Norwegian giant Norskott Havbruk/Scottish Sea Farms on 8 July 2022) – including "skin lesions/boils", "secondary bacterial infection", Furunculosis, Piscine Reovirus, Heart & Skeletal Muscle Inflammation, "increased mortality", fish "belly up", "moribund" and "hanging" with 72,037 dead salmon in a nine-week period:

THE SCOTTISH SALMON FARMING SCANDAL: pic.twitter.com/ckLP3yfyKb

— Salmon Scotland (@SalmonScotland) October 29, 2022

The Scottish Government Fish Health Inspectorate's report includes photographic evidence of disease and welfare problems including exothalmia, haemorrhaging and frayed gills:

The Scottish Government's 'Fish Health Inspectorate Visit Report' dated 22 August 2022 detailed disease problems including Aeromonas salmoncida (Furunculosis), necrosis, ephitheliocystis, Paranucleospora theridion, Salmon Gill Poxvirus and Neoparamoeba perurans (Amoebic Gill Disease):

In July 2022, $camon $cotland covertly filmed inside four salmon farms operated by Scottish Sea Farms (Norskott Havbruk) – including inside Loch Creran – leading to a welfare complaint filed with the SSPCA, RSPCA Assured, Marine Scotland, Police Scotland and the Animal and Plant Health Agency:

"Farmed fish are owed a duty of care & protection from unnecessary suffering under animal welfare law" (Edie Bowles @Animallawyersuk) "The findings in this most recent investigation suggest that these legal requirements are not being adequately enforced" @APHAgovuk @rspcaassured pic.twitter.com/IRwR8UOLaP

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 12, 2022

Salmon Farming is Criminal – video footage highlights breaches of welfare laws by @rspcaassured Norskott Havbruk @scotseafarms @marksandspencer https://t.co/INjBxAqRB1 @ScotlandSalmon @APHAgovuk @marinescotland @Ecohustler @Animallawyersuk @onekindtweet @oceanrebellion @scotgp

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 22, 2022

The Times reported in July 2022:

"Diseased & dead salmon inside facilities owned by @scotseafarms were recorded this month by Don Staniford. Salmon are shown covered in parasites with open wounds & with eyes & chunks of their flesh missing" @timesscotland @rspcaassured @marksandspencer https://t.co/v8C8G9lomM

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 16, 2022

RSPCA Assured (which receive £500,000+ per year via certifying salmon farms in Scotland as 'welfare-friendly') clear @marksandspencer supplier @scotseafarms over welfare abuse claims @timesscotland @ScottishSPCA @Animallawyersuk @rspcaassured #Whitewash https://t.co/fYxk43hWzH

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 20, 2022

This is not the first time that the operations of Scottish Sea Farms (Norskott Havbruk) in Loch Creran have been scrutinised. BBC Countryfile reported on welfare abuse inside Scottish Sea Farms (Norskott Havbruk) in December 2020.

How can you even start to explain yourselves?@tavishscott @RSPCA_official @TerryAHearn @MowiScotlandLtd @salmon_scottish @FergusEwingMSP @strathearnrose @MairiGougeon @Feorlean @D1HAJ https://t.co/FRguw9wvqR pic.twitter.com/JEJx1Q5ZJE

— Salmon Scotland (@SalmonScotland) December 7, 2020

The Herald reported in October 2020:

Fish found in ‘sickening’ conditions on Scottish salmon farms as sea lice problem escalates https://t.co/lI0BC4q01N @rspcaassured @scotseafarms @marinescotland @marksandspencer @SSPOsays @SalmonTroutCons @FergusEwingMSP @LeroySeafood @ProfCMDwyer

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 31, 2020

“The images & footage passed to us are truly shocking" https://t.co/MU6sddfkvE "The Scottish Government has failed to introduce a proper regime of regulation and enforcement on salmon farms & consequently parasite and disease issues are being allowed to run riot” @heraldscotland pic.twitter.com/ZcqgF8VABi

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 31, 2020

In July 2020, Scottish Sea Farms called the police after Matt Mellen of Ecohustler dived near their salmon farm in Loch Creran leading to a landmark apology from Police Scotland:

Scottish Sea Farms "sent a barge around seemingly to ram us" @Ecohustler "Then they called the police" @policescotland "tormenting sentient animals is okay but snorkeling over to witness the carnage is not" @scotseafarms https://t.co/8enYytYDRV @LeroySeafood @H_S_E @MCA_media pic.twitter.com/BBV8Hnij7i

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 28, 2020

Landmark Victory for Surveillance of Salmon Farms – Police Scotland apologises for wrongly protecting @scotseafarms from public access for filming & diving https://t.co/FJN8LmAX2w @policescotland pic.twitter.com/kU4IKfmGA5

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 15, 2020

Scottish Sea Farms also called the police in July 2019 when Scottish Salmon Watch dared to sail close to a salmon farm at Shuna in Loch Linne:

This is a very serious issue of @policescotland attempting to deny the public right to navigate freely. This is #Scotland moving towards #Trump politics. @HumzaYousaf @ScotGovFM @marinescotland @strathearnrose @markruskell https://t.co/hs8437gqKq

— Howard Wood (@howardlwood) July 15, 2019

$camon $cotland reported earlier this month (4 October 2022) how death rates were soaring at salmon farms across Scotland – with 36.7% mortality reported by Scottish Sea Farms in Loch Creran:

Check out the new mortality data published @ScotlandSalmon for August 2022 – headed by 61.4% cumulative mortality at Bakkafrost's Vuia Mor salmon farm in Loch Roag on the Isle of Lewis @Folketrygdfond @WHFP1 @HebridesNews @rspcaassured @ciwf https://t.co/R94JP3iYqX pic.twitter.com/TmLAFzyzA8

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) October 4, 2022

$camon $cotland reported last month (26 September 2022):

Lies, Damned Lies & Scottish Salmon: When @scotseafarms claim 90% fish survival & 100% @rspcaassured https://t.co/DevAkkEnYh
…What they fail to mention is 40%+ mortality in Kishorn, Lismore, Spelve & Nevis @ScotlandSalmon @marksandspencer @Ecohustler https://t.co/Ju6L8xNZjw pic.twitter.com/xiKHtNkkwJ

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) September 27, 2022

$camon $cotland visited M&S's head office in London in June 2022:

Please boycott irresponsibly sourced Scottish Salmon – as greenwashed by @rspcaassured @scotseafarms & @marksandspencer https://t.co/xs2XwPzOCc @Ecohustler @Folketrygdfond @LeroySeafood @ScotlandSalmon @SalmonScotland pic.twitter.com/xNGATeh4TB

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) June 30, 2022

$camon $cotland reported in February 2022:

Revealed: 30+ Million Dead Scottish Salmon Since 2017 – 8m morts reported last year & half a million in first two weeks of 2022!! https://t.co/tBz56oIRHK @ScotlandSalmon @tavishscott
Anyone for yummy "responsibly sourced" Scottish salmon? @rspcaassured @ASC_aqua @SoilAssociation pic.twitter.com/K8cU8Bo64Y

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 18, 2022

According to the Fish Health Inspectorate data published on 7 February 2022, Norwegian-owned Scottish Sea Farms (Norskott Havbruk) reported 815,746 mortalities since 1 January 2021 (data up to mid-January 2022) via 135 'Mortality Event Reports' – including mass mortalities at Toyness and Westerbister (sites which are currently being audited for certification by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council) and in Loch Spelve where secret filming by Scottish Salmon Watch in May 2021 exposed welfare abuse and led to an official report of Infectious Salmon Anaemia to the World Organization for Animal Health in September 2021:

$camon $cotland wrote to M&S (who sources "responsibly sourced" Scottish salmon from Scottish Sea Farms) in February 2022:

How many @marksandspencer Scottish salmon @scotseafarms are infected with diseases, pathogens & viruses such as Infectious Salmon Anaemia, Piscine Reovirus, Proliferative Gill Disease (Piscichlamydia) & Salmon Gill Poxvirus? https://t.co/A1AHbV9xFs @rspcaassured @ScotlandSalmon pic.twitter.com/a1nilFBfcx

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 14, 2022

Scottish Salmon Watch reported in January 2022:

EXPOSED: Over 100,000 dead farmed salmon @scotseafarms in one month at Toyness in Orkney @marinescotland – surely @ASC_aqua "farmed responsibly" certification is dead in the water? @Acoura_UK @lloydsregister @The_Orcadian @LeroySeafood @Folketrygdfond https://t.co/sl7E4vmN5y pic.twitter.com/XoH5hkCsqu

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) January 11, 2022

Scottish Salmon Watch reported in December 2021:

'Scottish' Sea Farms (real name Norskott Havbruk @LeroySeafood) claim an annual mortality rate of 9%* @scotseafarms yet data @ScotlandSalmon shows average cummulative mortality at farms harvested out in 2020 & 2021 was 14% with 41% in Loch Kishorn! https://t.co/YP7xPmmrFt pic.twitter.com/zOmL4I5G4S

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 13, 2021

Named & Shamed @ScotlandSalmon – the salmon farms with the worst mortality. Headed by @scotseafarms with 41.3% mortality in Loch Kishorn followed by 32.8% mortality in Loch Spelve (where ISA was reported in May) & @salmon_scottish & @LochDuartSalmon sites https://t.co/rKHGuzMb37 pic.twitter.com/Atboh6H6ds

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 10, 2021

Scottish Salmon Watch reported in December 2021:

SalMar – co-owner of @scotseafarms with @LeroySeafood – hit by Infectious Salmon Anaemia in Norway with ISA suspected at Grieg @GriegShetland https://t.co/A0O8E1lBpj @InfoMattilsynet @fishfarmermag
How many hidden cases of ISA are in Scotland? @ScotlandSalmon @marinescotland pic.twitter.com/H9Wd1rJe3d

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 10, 2021

Revealed: Infectious Salmon Anaemia Lurking in Scottish Salmon – 7% of farmed salmon tested positive for ISA between 2002 & 2012 (396 out of 5,395 samples) https://t.co/CH5p5qoPJZ
How many more cases of ISA are hiding in Scotland? @ScotlandSalmon @scotseafarms @MowiScotlandLtd pic.twitter.com/qD23ovQPMS

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 2, 2021

In November 2021, Scottish Salmon Watch filed a complaint against M&S – exclusive supplier of Scottish Sea Farms – with trading and advertising standards.

Bullshit Called on M&S's "Responsibly Sourced" Scottish Salmon! @marksandspencer @scotseafarms @LeroySeafood @Folketrygdfond @ScotlandSalmon @CMAgovUK @ASA_UK @TSScot @Ecohustler https://t.co/xw85ROAlM8 pic.twitter.com/qx1JoGZbg1

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 23, 2021

#Greenwash alert / thread! 🚨

M&S say their factory farmed #salmon is "responsibly sourced." 💩

We know this is not true.

This summer, 115,000 UK shoppers signed our petition calling on M&S to come clean about the true impacts. 🌍

They are ignoring us – so we are escalating. pic.twitter.com/wQKpRzsuTv

— Ecohustler (@Ecohustler) November 23, 2021

Scottish Salmon Watch covertly filmed inside Scottish Sea Farms (Norskott Havbruk) in May 2021 – triggering an inspection of Loch Spelve by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate and a report of Infectious Salmon Anaemia:

Secret Filming Exposes RSPCA ‘Abused’ Scottish Salmon – Welfare Complaint Filed Against M&S Supplier Scottish Sea Farms https://t.co/FcNmyXrwxD @rspcaassured @scotseafarms @marksandspencer @LeroySeafood @APHAgovuk @marinescotland @SSPCA_Mike @SSPCA_Kirsteen @Folketrygdfond pic.twitter.com/D212vYCn9z

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) May 13, 2021

Infectious Salmon Anaemia comes back to haunt Scottish salmon – positive test reported by @marinescotland @rspcaassured @scotseafarms on Isle of Mull. Buy your fresh virus-laden Scottish salmon @marksandspencer – how many more farms are infected? @MowiScotlandLtd @salmon_scottish pic.twitter.com/JUjMS335xa

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) August 30, 2021

"The ISA virus is a ticking time-bomb with the risk of spreading the deadly disease all too real. RSPCA Assured @scotseafarms in Loch Spelve could be ground zero in another ISA disease outbreak" https://t.co/d0hFOve4pg @scotgov @SSPOsays @rspcaassured @obantimes @scotgp pic.twitter.com/JguXT9RgkG

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) August 30, 2021

Remember that the ISA outbreak in Scotland in 1998-9 was traced back to Norwegian-owned Scottish Sea Farms – it cost the 'Scottish' salmon farming industry £100 million & 200 jobs https://t.co/wyj5QQUImy @scotseafarms @LeroySeafood @Folketrygdfond @marinescotland @scotgov pic.twitter.com/feos13OzS7

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) August 30, 2021

Leroy (co-owner of Norskott Havbruk) is plagued by Infectious Salmon Anaemia in #Norway @LeroySeafood @InfoMattilsynet https://t.co/XrE2BNkqxF @LeroySeafood
Scottish Sea Farms (Hydro Seafoods) spread ISA around #Scotland in the 1990s causing £100m losses – is ISA back again? pic.twitter.com/HooqhsxNU3

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 6, 2021

Scottish Salmon Watch reported in March 2021:

Revealed: Scottish Sea Farms fail to report mortality numbers in 61% of 'Mortality Event Reports' @marinescotland – that's 167 missing cases which could be over 2 million @rspcaassured farmed salmon! @scotseafarms @marksandspencer @LeroySeafood @SSPOsays https://t.co/pvZAMsdhqC pic.twitter.com/vWsKR4apLC

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 9, 2021

Scottish Sea Farms fail to provide numbers of mortalities for 16 'Mortality Events' in October 2020 – including mass mortalities in Loch Creran (exposed by @BBCCountryfile @joe_crowley) https://t.co/YipDHj0eXL
Why is @rspcaassured @scotseafarms hiding the numbers of dead salmon? pic.twitter.com/U28zB5HvPM

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 14, 2020

Shocking mortalities revealed in Loch Spelve (Isle of Mull) @scotseafarms due to Complex Gill Disease. The site was stocked with 382,344 farmed salmon – 199,124 culled; 177,588 morts & 24,000 harvested https://t.co/ZeaqMoyyH1 40% mortality reported by @SSPOsays in October 2019 pic.twitter.com/Emov4npDWz

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 10, 2020

Telephone inspection of @scotseafarms by @marinescotland in Loch Spelve – 366,000+ fish die (199,124 culled & 177,588 morts). Fish start dying on 16 Sept & site is fallowed on 29 Oct yet 'Mortality Event Reports' are dated 14 Nov with zero 'inspection' until phone call on 15 Nov pic.twitter.com/AHzlw7SrTo

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 12, 2020

Here's photos of disease-ridden salmon which lawyers acting for Scottish Sea Farms and The Scottish Salmon Company (unsuccessfully) tried to block.

Download more photos of disease-ridden salmon farmed by Scottish Sea Farms online here

Edie Bowles @Animallawyersuk said the dossier, compiled by Don Staniford, a critic of salmon farming, indicated “systemic and obvious” pain & suffering that could justify legal action against @scotgov @MairiGougeon @SSPOsays https://t.co/ZuzAis8gEr @SundayTimesScot @ciwf @scotgp pic.twitter.com/RPVIAL3KlS

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 2, 2020

Scottish Salmon Watch reported in June 2021 that Scottish Sea Farms had quietly dropped ther 'Lochmuir' fake branding in favour of the much-maligned RSPCA Assured certification:

M&S "phase out" Lochmuir fake brand in favour of RSPCA Assured – out of the frying pan into the fire!https://t.co/rufoN76EJl @marksandspencer @scotseafarms @LeroySeafood @rspcaassured
Thanks to @feedbackorg & @Ecohustler for campaigning against fake farmed salmon! @SSPOsays pic.twitter.com/UaQKUBAW5x

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) June 17, 2021