Data published online each month by the Scottish Government is worth a read – although caution is advised if you've just eaten.
Stop the Scottish Salmondemic – Please avoid disease-ridden farmed salmon like the proverbial plague! https://t.co/bJhuudDxZx
That includes 'greenwashed' salmon certified via @rspcaassured & @ASC_aqua & @SoilAssociation
Salmon farming is a welfare nightmare! @ciwf @onekindtweet pic.twitter.com/jxr84bXUPF— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 8, 2021
Click on Fish Health Inspectorate case information: 2021 and you'll be able to download data on diseases reported by the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate following inspections of salmon farms in April 2021.
Data disclosed @marinescotland reveals mass mortalities, infectious diseases, welfare problems & use of carcinogenic chemicals on salmon farms across Scotland @MowiScotlandLtd @scotseafarms @SSPOsays https://t.co/r6jks42ZdA
Please boycott @rspcaassured Scottish pharmed salmon! pic.twitter.com/44uri2EIbM— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 8, 2021
An inspection of Mowi's Kingairloch salmon farm on 27 April 2021 detailed one fish with a "damaged eye", "a few fish with lesions/damage", the death of 3,594 lumpsuckers (cleaner fish) and Moritella (Wincer ulcer) in farmed salmon:
All Mowi salmon is RSPCA Assured – including the disease-ridden salmon farm at Gorsten in Loch Linnhe which features in Netflix's 'Seaspiracy' – and comes adorned with a Royal Warrant.
Shame on Her Majesty for giving the royal stamp of approval to disease-ridden Mowi salmon – why would the Queen allow RSPCA Assured farmed salmon into the Royal Household? https://t.co/tN8J6Mxk3V @ScotlandMowi @RoyalFamily @rspcaassured Please watch Netflix's 'Seaspiracy'! pic.twitter.com/9DnvB2FwGN
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 7, 2021
An inspection of Mowi's Linnhe salmon farm on 28 April 2021 also reported eye problems and a minor breach of regulations.
An inspection on 29 April 2021 of Mowi's Ardnish salmon farm in Loch Ailort – where Mowi lobbied the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to conduct a field trial of the banned neonicotinoid Imidacloprid – reported 20% mortality due to 'Thermic Shock', use of antibiotics (Florfenicol) on lumpfish due to the bacterial disease Pseudomonas anguilliseptica and the failure to report lice numbers:
An inspection on 28 April 2021 of Mowi's Glenfinnan salmon farm reported Haemorrhagic smolt syndrome (HSS) and nephrocalcinosis, fungal lesions and use of the carcinogenic chemical Formalin "every two days".
An inspection of Mowi's Arkaig salmon farm on 29 April 2021 also reported the use of the carcinogenic chemical Formalin and 7,753 mortalities due to fungal infection.
In July 2019, Scottish Salmon Watch exposed the use of the carcinogenic chemical Formalin (Formaldehyde) by Mowi in Loch Arkaig.
Call to ban fish farm use of formaldehyde @obantimes https://t.co/gOqXcBAHHN @SaveOurLochs @FergusEwingMSP @strathearnrose @GillianMSP @SP_ECCLR @ScottishEPA @SSPOsays @MowiScotlandLtd @markruskell @scotgp @ewangkennedy @TheSoundOfJura @vmdgovuk @nature_scot @H_S_E @argyllandbute pic.twitter.com/0AU93MLYUn
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) August 20, 2020
An inspection of Scottish Sea Farms (Shuna) on 28 April 2021 reported PRV (Piscine reovirus), AGD (Amoebic Gill Disease) and Pox.
Is all your farmed salmon infected with Piscine reovirus? This inspection report @marinescotland in April details PRV, Amoebic Gill Disease & Pox @scotseafarms sourced from Barcaldine hatchery @LeroySeafood https://t.co/WK0SjATflz
Was PRV imported via infected ova from Norway? pic.twitter.com/g7rnaBGXFH— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 7, 2021
Scottish Salmon Watch reported in June 2019 that testing by Marine Scotland Science in 2018 and 2019 found Piscine Reovirus in over 50% of farmed salmon sampled.
Isn't it ironic…don't you think. A little too ironic…and, yeah, I really do think…It's like salmon farmers exploiting the Coronavirus crisis when over 50% of farmed salmon tested positive for a virus https://t.co/8Z8lYMIv2p @marinescotland @SSPOsays #alanismorissette pic.twitter.com/eQDxDZYezs
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 13, 2020
An inspection of the Barcadline Hatchery operated by Scottish Sea Farms on 27 April 2021 reported "high fail hatch" of ova with over 100,000 mortalities in Incubation 1 and a further 100,000+ morts in Incubation 2:
No photos have been published thus far during 2021 but the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate has published shocking photos of welfare abuse and disease problems on salmon farms via previous on-site inspections.
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
In April 2021, Scottish Salmon Watch wrote to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs flagging up welfare abuse on salmon farms.
Given the serious nature of the allegations, Scottish Salmon Watch hope that @DefraGovUK
investigate @APHAgovuk surveillance & inspection of salmon farms in #Scotland @FergusEwingSNP @BenMacpherson @kamesfishfarm @rspcaassured @CGrahameMSP @scotgp https://t.co/vUKNjDsPIR pic.twitter.com/M6H7b9B6BE— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) April 21, 2021
Whitewashing Welfare Abuse of Scottish Salmon!
Read the inside story – sourced via FOI – into how @APHAgovuk 'inspect' millions of farmed fish & turn a blind eye to welfare abuse @SSPOsays @scotseafarms @kamesfishfarm @rspcaassured @marksandspencer https://t.co/vgp2qsSSsQ pic.twitter.com/APUPVisONy— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) April 15, 2021
In March 2021, Compassion in World Farming and OneKind published video evidence and a damning report detailing endemic welfare abuse, infectious diseases and mortalities on salmon farms across Scotland.
A new report – "Underwater Cages, Parasites & Dead Fish" – featuring welfare abuse on salmon farms is a must read! https://t.co/rwypa1sg8y
Stop salmon suffering by banning salmon farming in #Scotland NOW! @ciwf @onekindtweet @CIWF_EU @media_ciwf @rspcaassured @SSPCA_Mike @scotgp pic.twitter.com/rDFDpGMYcz— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 23, 2021
Inside Scottish Salmon Feedlots posted yesterday (7 July 2021) on Facebook:
Click on 'Fish Health Inspectorate: mortality information' and you'll find data on mass mortalities up to the end of April 2021 (data for May 2021 should be posted soon).
Download the Excel spreadsheet and you can zero on specific companies, sites and dates of mass mortalities. For example, here's the top 20 largest mass mortalities reported by salmon farming companies up the end of April 2021 – with 'explained reasons' including Cardiomyopathy syndrome, Heart & Skeletal Muscle Inflammation, Fungus, Salmon Gill Pox Virus and Viral Diseases.
Tavish Scott, chief lobbyist for the 99% foreign-owned/controlled 'Scottish' salmon farming sector, denied that infectious diseases were killing millions of Scottish salmon on BBC Scotland's 'The Nine'.
Lobbyist for 'Scottish' Salmon Caught Telling Pack of Lies on BBC Scotland! https://t.co/L0V3L4ubNu @tavishscott @SSPOsays @mmgeissler @BBCScotNine @marinescotland @salmon_scottish @seaspiracy
Maybe Tavish Scott should just stop talking bollocks? pic.twitter.com/Kz2vNM0NvE— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) April 7, 2021
MILLIONS of farmed salmon are dying from lice infestations, chlamydia, heart disease, anaemia etc.
The CEO of the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation @SSPOsays, Mr @TavishScott says it's a
"Pack of lies".
Make up you own mind who's the LIAR here. pic.twitter.com/C0T1aId4pn
— Salmon Scotland (@SalmonScotland) April 19, 2021
Here's the skinny on disease-ridden Scottish salmon – maybe Tavish should actually read the Fish Health Inspectorate's data? @marinescotland @SSPOsays https://t.co/wxw7mmiMo9 pic.twitter.com/2ZOn10kLmk
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) April 6, 2021
Tavish Scott is desperate to pin the blame for mass mortalities on "aggressive" seals who the industry are demonising into 'spooking' thousands of farmed salmon to death:
Scotland's 'aggressive' seals are now so scary that salmon farmers report they're "spooking" tens of thousands of sensitive farmed salmon to death! @marinescotland @SSPOsays @salmon_scottish https://t.co/oZtlH0CRpV @MairiMcAllan @ScotGovNetZero @scotgov pic.twitter.com/zaQv4cjT1G
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) July 5, 2021
Despite claims by the company that they would start reporting all mortalities, Scottish Sea Farms has still failed to disclose mort numbers in the following events reported during 2021.
In March 2021, Scottish Salmon Watch revealed that Norwegian-owned 'Scottish' Sea Farms (real name Norskott Havbruk) was the worst operator by far in terms of failing to disclose the number of morts.
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
The secrecy of Scottish Sea Farms – who recently bought Grieg Seafood's disease-ridden Scottish operations – raises alarm bells.
New Data Online Now: Nearly half a million dead salmon reported in October 2020 via 75 'Mortality Events' headed by @salmon_scottish @MowiScotlandLtd @GriegShetland
But 16 reports (all @scotseafarms) do not provide numbers @marinescotland Why the secrecy? @FergusEwingMSP pic.twitter.com/vUSxF7ID9b— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 14, 2020
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
Out of 1709 'Mortality Events' published since 2017 there are still 281 cases with missing figures (16%) @salmon_scottish has 106 & @scotseafarms has 140 with numbers not disclosed https://t.co/VWeqgu0zc6
Why? @marinescotland @SSPOsays @MairiGougeon @FergusEwingMSP @scotgov pic.twitter.com/oSMwgKgCMf— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 9, 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
Scottish Salmon Watch reported in April 2021:
Mowi claim that "current monthly survival rates across all its farms exceed 99%". Yet even 1-2% mortality per month at an @rspcaassured salmon farm can add up to well over 30%! @ScotlandMowi @scotseafarms @SSPOsays @salmon_scottish @GriegShetland @ASC_aqua https://t.co/q3jC9vPnbo pic.twitter.com/HAtKsTsYa1
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) April 1, 2021
The Times reported (31 March 2021):
Corin Smith has calculated that caged salmon deaths rose from 4,421 tonnes in 2002 to 25,772 tonnes in 2019. “The volume of salmon dying prematurely on salmon farms in Scotland is now biblical in scale” @thetimes https://t.co/gf8GFOyBZz @SSPOsays @ScotlandMowi @salmon_scottish
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) April 1, 2021
Scottish Salmon Watch reported (15 March 2021):
Data Update: 1,886 'Mortality Event Reports' filed in Scotland since 2017 detailing over 21 million dead farmed salmon @marinescotland @SSPOsays @ScotlandMowi @salmon_scottish @scotseafarms @rspcaassured @GriegShetland @CookeScotland @LochDuartSalmonhttps://t.co/tfxR0VWuMN pic.twitter.com/3812SPYKKS
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 15, 2021
Scottish Salmon Watch reported (11 March 2021):
Censored: Salmon farmers in Scotland refuse to publish numbers of deaths as disclosure is "commercially damaging" https://t.co/FiaGuR3KoG
Yet Norway published 2020 data detailing 52 million deaths – why the double standard when Norway owns 80% of 'Scottish' salmon? @ScottishEPA pic.twitter.com/S6d45qnsTx— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 11, 2021
Mass mortalities on salmon farms in Scotland is a huge problem with some sites reporting more morts than fish harvested alive.
Shocking Scottish Salmon: 78.3% mortality rate reported at Grieg Seafood's Leinish salmon farm on the Isle of Skye – four out of five @rspcaassured fish died a horrible death! @GriegShetland @SSPOsays @onekindtweet https://t.co/a3w08wp8bt@KateForbesMSP @Ianblackford_MP @WHFP1 pic.twitter.com/wzA2j4E6CD
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 6, 2020
If you can stomach more gruesome details please watch further video evidence – including this footage which features in Netflix's 'Seaspiracy' (shot at Mowi's ASC and RSPCA Assured salmon farm at Gorsten in Loch Linnhe).
Netflix's 'Seaspiracy' Exposes Disease-Ridden Scottish Salmon – As Sponsored by the RSPCA & Aquaculture Stewardship Council! https://t.co/NiySHYotBu@seaspiracy @rspcaassured @ScotlandMowi @ASC_aqua @vivacampaigns @Ecohustler @SSPOsays @iamalitabrizi @media_ciwf @philip_ciwf pic.twitter.com/32CcvHUUKH
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) March 31, 2021
Netflix’s ‘Seaspiracy’ also screened video footage of welfare abuse at The Scottish Salmon Company’s lice-infested salmon farm in Loch Roag captured by Corin Smith.
More videos are posted via Inside Scottish Salmon Feedlots on You Tube:
Please follow my Vimeo channel for further video updates!
And please take the pledge to boycott farmed salmon!
“I have taken farmed salmon completely off the menu. We don’t even have smoked salmon for breakfasts,” says chef James Coffey @IrishTimes @parkkenmare @jamescoffey1 @RelaisChateaux @salmonwatchire https://t.co/i5Y6hy6vLW#SalmonPledge
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) June 16, 2021
Friends don't let friends eat farmed salmon – please make a video pledge today! https://t.co/4aHyVQVGGA#SalmonPledge #Boycott #Farmed #Salmon pic.twitter.com/cuPmMCXLlW
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) April 5, 2021
Farmed Salmon? No Thanks! https://t.co/srvE2G4DEs
Proudly display your opposition to salmon farming – take the salmon pledge today! #Boycott #Farmed #Salmon pic.twitter.com/9QnqGQMJ4V— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) April 5, 2021
Read more:
The Times: "Fish graveyard ‘severely hampers’ life for islanders, officials claim"
Update: Mortality Rate Over 36% At RSPCA Assured Scottish Salmon!
Revealed: Burned, Buried & Ensiled Scottish Salmon
Update: 25 Million Mass Mortalities on Scottish Salmon Farms
52 million deaths in Norway – how many millions died on Scottish salmon farms in 2020?
The Case Against Scottish Salmon – An Update on Diseases & Mass Mortalities!
2.2 Million Missing Mortalities at Scottish Sea Farms?
Mass Mortalities Continue to Plague Scottish Salmon
Over One Million Morts for Scottish Salmon in September 2020!
Survival of the Unhealthiest Scottish Salmon – New data reveals shocking mortality rates!
Dead in the Water – New Data Reveals Mass Mortalities & Disease on Scottish Salmon Farms
The Ferret: "Farmed salmon deaths from disease reach record high"
The Killing Farms – Scottish Salmon's Horror Story Continues!
Solving Scottish Salmon's Multi-Million Mortality Problem
Tavish Scott @SSPOsays denies millions of Scottish salmon are dying from lice infestation & infectious diseases @seaspiracy @BBCScotNine
Yet, data published by @marinescotland shows millions of #Scottish #salmon die due to infectious diseases! https://t.co/L0V3L4ubNu #Liar #Lies pic.twitter.com/feFSb4NTw8— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) April 7, 2021
Alexa, how many salmon die each year on Scottish salmon farms? 42 million* https://t.co/jRQzhheju6
Sadly we don't know for sure as the answer is deemed "commercially damaging" by @sspo!
Will @ScottishEPA & @marinescotland force disclosure? @salmon_scottish @rspcaassured pic.twitter.com/fua9nkM6g3— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 11, 2020
"We must confront the arguments where they lack fact" says @tavishscott @HolyroodDaily https://t.co/iIpHiZNRyE
How many mortalities does @SSPOsays report each year?
Fact – zero (disclosure would be "commercially damaging") @ScottishEPA @TerryAHearn https://t.co/RJ4HGLLBWx pic.twitter.com/0LmEKS5zRA— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 1, 2020
If you're looking for data on numbers of @rspcaassured dead farmed salmon in Scotland they don't exist – in 2013 @SSPOsays lobbied @ScottishEPA not to disclose mortalities as it was deemed commercially damaging! https://t.co/cDEyvS04dO @strathearnrose @salmon_scottish @scotgp pic.twitter.com/FICRbrpGXJ
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) September 2, 2020