Taking the Fish – Illegal Salmon Dump Caught Taking Diseased Fish from the Mainland Despite ‘Derogation’!

Meme #4

 

 

A Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosure by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) back in June 2017 lifts the lid on how the 'Scottish' salmon farming industry – 99% of which is controlled by six foreign-owned companies – has been desperately "struggling" with the industry's mort mountain for decades. 

 

SEPA blog #1

 

 

 

 

Scottish Salmon Watch is calling on Scottish Ministers to take immediate action against salmon farming companies such as Mowi, The Scottish Salmon Company and Loch Duart for continuing to illegally dump diseased salmon in landfill at Whiteshore Cockles.  Documents disclosed via FOI reveal Whiteshore Cockles started taking in lorry loads more diseased salmon from sites on the Isles of Lewis and Harris and even from mainland Scotland (according to an email from the Scottish Government in March 2021) in 2017 after a six-month derogation had lapsed in 2016.  

 

Meme #3

 

 

 

The increased quantity of morts (dead salmon) – due to Whiteshore Cockles taking in morts from the Isles of Lewis and Harris (and even the mainland) from 2017 – delayed the installation of a fish drier as an alternative to landfilling.   A letter from the Managing Director of Tidy Planet to Whiteshore Cockles in February 2019 detailed how bigger machinery was required to cope with the ever increasing scale of Scottish salmon's mort problem. 

 

Meme #5

 

 

 

How long will the authorities allow Whiteshore Cockles to keep taking the fish?  They've been taking the piss for nearly two decades!

 

Taking piss

 

 

 

Back in 2005, The Times and Bruce Sandison of The Salmon Farm Protest Group blew the whistle on the illegal dumping of diseased salmon by Marine Harvest (re-named Mowi in 2019 due to "negative consumer perception" in the name Marine Harvest). 

 

SEPA blog #2

 

 

 

 

That the issue of illegal dumping of diseased salmon is still rearing it's ugly head nearly two decades later illustrates not only the scale of salmon farming's mortality problem but also the sector's incapacity to follow basic laws and regulations.   

 

 

 

Yesterday's front page article published in the Press & Journal (2 July 2021) named and shamed Whiteshore Cockles for raising a stink and hampering residents' quality of life in North Uist.  

 

P&J 2 July 2021 newspaper edition #1

 

 

 

SEPA's FOI disclosure back in June 2017 followed media coverage in The Sunday Herald in 2013 and The Sunday Herald in 2016 on the investigative work by retired lawyer Ewan Kennedy who exposed the illegal landfilling of diseased salmon and filed an EC complaint.

 

SEPA blog #3

 

SEPA blog #4

SEPA blog #5

SEPA blog #6

SEPA blog #7

 

Read more background via Letter to Scottish Ministers on Illegal Dumping of Diseased Scottish Salmon in North Uist

 

 

 

 

 

So we have a backdrop of the salmon farming industry – aided and abetted by the Scottish Government and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) – flouting EU law on the dumping of diseased salmon in landfill at Whiteshore Cockles.   No wonder the authorities have desperately attempted to bury the evidence of illegality. 

 

 

 

 

SEPA's FOI disclosure in June 2017 via F0187308 is worth re-visiting in the context of continued illegal dumping of diseased salmon by Mowi, The Scottish Salmon Company and Loch Duart at Whiteshore Cockles.

 

 

 

Here's an email from the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (the lobby group which represents the 99% foreign-owned/controlled 'Scottish' salmon farming industry) in July 2015 which admits to the sector "struggling" with the "complexities in the area of waste disposal". 

 

SEPA disclosure June 2017 #4 SSPO struggling

 

SEPA's FOI disclosure in June 2017 discloses various drafts of the SSPO guidance as comments from SEPA, the Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) and the Scottish Government 'refined' the text.

 

SEPA disclosure June 2017 #5 SSPO draft comments

SEPA disclosure June 2017 #6 SSPO draft comments

 

SEPA blog #8

 

 

SEPA's Fiona Donaldson (listed as a 'Senior Policy Officer' on her LinkedIn profile) even found the time to comment before she soaked up the sun and wine in France:

 

SEPA blog #9

Wild mums

 

 

 

Despite the salmon farming industry's struggles to understand the "complexities in the area of waste disposal", the law is a simple if not sobering reality for companies such as Mowi, The Scottish Company and Loch Duart who are still using landfill disposal at Whiteshore Cockles in North Uist.    As a letter from Scottish Salmon Watch to Scottish Ministers in May 2021 and re-sent on 1 July 2021 pointed out:

 

SEPA blog #10

SEPA blog #11

SEPA blog #12

 

SEPA blog #13

SEPA blog #14

 

 

SEPA's FOI disclosure in June 2017 via F0187308 provides some answers but raises more questions.  This email exchange, for example, illustrates how even the Scottish Government disagreed on the interpretation of what consitituted 'Category 2' wastes. 

 

SEPA blog #15

 

 

SEPA blog #16

 

 

 

A map of locations where Category 2 wastes could be disposed of in 2015 (published with SEPA's FOI disclosure in June 2017 via F0187308) illustrates how the salmon farming industry had numerous options – albeit more expensive ones – other than Whiteshore Cockles. 

 

SEPA blog #17

SEPA blog #18

 

 

Yet, instead of stemming the tide of diseased salmon being dumped illegally at Whiteshore Cockles it seems that the geographical area was extended beyond the Uists to encompass Lewis and Harris.  In December 2017, Whiteshore Cockles wrote in an email – disclosed via FOI in June 2021 – that "the fish farms in Lewis and Harris are keen for us to treat their mortalities".

 

SEPA blog #22

 

The "extra quantity" of mortalities actually caused further delays in the installation of a fish drier at Whiteshore Cockles (something which still requires a SEPA permit and Whiteshore Cockles admitted in The Times this week may not take place until March 2022).    A letter from the Managing Director of Tidy Planet to Whiteshore Cockles in February 2019 explained that there was at least a 28 week delay in delivering the ‘fish mort system’ when it became clear bigger machinery was needed:

"Following the higher incidence of mortality that you experienced at the end of last (sic) where you on occasion received up to 40 tonnes of morts in 24 hours and over 1000 tonnes in one month, we had to suspend the work on the dryers as they would not be able to process more than 20 tonnes per day.  In addition, as confirmed by Animal Health, you are not able to store morts for longer than 24 hours following receipt to your site and this means that we had to re-design the main part of the drying and separation system to move from a fixed capacity batch type system to a semi continuous system that provides you with a significantly increased capacity of up to 50 tonnes per day"

 

SEPA blog #23

 

 

In other words, the salmon farming industry in Lewis and Harris (a ferry ride away from North Uist) blatantly ignored the law on the illegal dumping of diseased salmon at Whiteshore Cockles and thereby contributed to further delays.    Video footage broadcast by the BBC 'One Show' in September 2018 shows diseased salmon from Loch Roag on the Isle of Lewis being transported illegally to Whiteshore Cockles in North Uist. 

 

SEPA blog #24

 

 

The owner of Whiteshore Cockles claimed on the BBC One Show in September 2018 that dumping of diseased salmon would not continue for "much longer".

 

SEPA blog #31

 

 

Video footage shot at Whiteshore Cockles in October 2020 (published in March 2021 by Compassion in World Farming) reveals that diseased salmon was still being dumped in breach of EU and Scottish law. 

 

SEPA blog #37

 

 

 

 

 

Whiteshore Cockles admitted in a planning statement in January 2021 – cited in Scottish Salmon Watch's press release of 27 May 2021 – that in 2017 it started 'servicing' all salmon farms in the Western Isles (i.e. the Isles of Lewis & Harris now joined the Southern Isles – from North Uist to Barra).

 

SEPA blog #34

 

 

Another document dated 3 March 2021 -  cited in Scottish Salmon Watch's press release of 27 May 2021 – reported that Whiteshore Cockles was granted planning consent "to remove the restriction on the geographical source of the morts" in 2012 by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council). 

 

SEPA blog #35

SEPA blog #36

 

 

Scottish Salmon Watch suspects that the reluctance of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) to disclose information on Whiteshore Cockles via FOI is because they are desperate to hide fishy – nay illegal – goings on with respect to the dumping of diseased salmon in landfill.

 

 

 

 

Even worse than extending the scope of disposal to salmon farms on the Isles of Lewis and Harris, documents disclosed by the Scottish Government last month (published online on 29 June 2021) reveal that salmon farms on the mainland (i.e. not even in the Western Isles) were using Whiteshore Cockles as an illegal and "cheap" dumping ground.   Here's an email from the Scottish Government in March 2021:

 

SEPA blog #19

 

 

 

The email from the Scottish Government dated 19 March 2021 also cited concerns by CnES (Western Isles Council) that "Fish morts from all over Western Isles and even mainland going to site". 

 

SEPA blog #25

 

 

 

An email from Whiteshore Cockles to the Scottish Government in October 2019 – disclosed via FOI in June 2021 – cited the "scenario of hundreds of tons of fish mortalities lying around the Western Isles for days/weeks waiting to be collected and transported away" with 'bulker lorries' not being able to get a booking on ferries. 

 

SEPA blog #20

 

 

An email dated October 2018 from the Scottish Government to the Animal & Plant Health Agency – disclosed via FOI in June 2021 – attempted to explain the messed up situation.

 

SEPA blog #21

 

 

SEPA's FOI disclosure in June 2017 via F0187308 also included this email from SEPA in January 2015:

 

SEPA blog #26

SEPA blog #27

SEPA blog #28

 

 

SEPA's FOI disclosure in June 2017 via F0187308 detailed how salmon farming companies in Shetland (Cooke, Scottish Sea Farms and Grieg Seafood) proposed proactive steps in early 2015 to deal with Category 2 wastes (in comparison to the salmon farming companies in the Western Isles – Mowi, The Scottish Salmon Company and Loch Duart – who have continued to dump diseased salmon illegally at Whiteshore Cockles in North Uist):

 

SEPA blog #29

SEPA blog #30

 

 

 

 

When Scottish Salmon Watch visited Whiteshore Cockles in May 2021 we found mort bins with the names of Marine Harvest (Mowi), The Scottish Salmon Company and Loch Duart written on the sides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scottish Salmon Watch stated in a press release (27 May 2021):

 

SEPA blog #32

 

SEPA blog #33

 

 

Scottish Salmon Watch has invited councillors at Western Isles Council to visit Whiteshore Cockles later this month to see (and smell) for themselves the disease-ridden dump. 

 

 

 

 

Video footage shot last month by a tourist shows how close Whiteshore Cockles is to the beach and to EU-protected habitats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier this week (1 July 2021), Scottish Salmon Watch filed an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner with respect to the FOI refusal by Western Isles Council on Whiteshore Cockles.

 

 

 

 

Read more via:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Addendum:

 

From: Don Staniford <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Jul 3, 2021 at 7:34 AM
Subject: Whiteshore Cockles – PPC permit application?
To: Ahearn, Terry <terry.ahearn@sepa.org.uk>, Pollard, Peter <peter.pollard@sepa.org.uk>, Sinclair, Douglas <douglas.sinclair@sepa.org.uk>, Media <publicrelations@sepa.org.uk>, Mackinnon, Alison <Alison.Mackinnon@sepa.org.uk>, AccesstoInformation <foi@sepa.org.uk>
 
Has Whiteshore Cockles applied yet for a PPC permit from SEPA?
 
SEPA may find a new blog – some of it sourced from a FOI from SEPA in 2017 – of interest: Taking the Fish – Illegal Salmon Dump Caught Taking Diseased Fish from the Mainland Despite 'Derogation'!
 
More context is detailed below.
 
Best fishes,
 
Don
 
 
From: Don Staniford <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Jul 3, 2021 at 7:31 AM
Subject: Re: Letter to Scottish Ministers on Illegal Dumping of Diseased Scottish Salmon in North Uist
To: <scottish.ministers@gov.scot>, <Mairi.McAllan.msp@parliament.scot>, Gougeon M (Mairi), MSP <Mairi.Gougeon.msp@parliament.scot>, Forbes K (Kate), MSP <Kate.Forbes.msp@parliament.scot>, <GLSSResourcing@gov.scot>, <solicitor@gov.scot>
Cc: MSP <Ben.Macpherson.msp@parliament.scot>, Fergus Ewing <Fergus.Ewing.msp@scottish.parliament.uk>, MSP <Roseanna.Cunningham.msp@parliament.scot>, <Ian.Murdoch@gov.scot>, Ruskell M (Mark), MSP <Mark.Ruskell.msp@parliament.scot>, MSP <Alex.Rowley.msp@parliament.scot>, Mountain E (Edward), MSP <Edward.Mountain.msp@parliament.scot>, Tim Langley <tim.langley@cne-siar.gov.uk>, Enquiries <enquiries@cne-siar.gov.uk>
 
Further to Scottish Salmon Watch's letter to Scottish Ministers (1 July), please read an update via:
 
 
 
Scottish Salmon Watch asks Scottish Ministers and the Scottish Government Legal Directorate to investigate the ongoing illegal dumping of diseased salmon at Whiteshore Cockles and compare the Western Isles 'problem' with proactive measures taken in Shetland. 
 
The FOI refusal by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) makes a definitive assessment difficult (hopefully Scottish Ministers can force disclosure of key documents) but these facts seem clear from documents already made available via FOI by the Scottish Government (published online on 29 June 2021):
 
– Whiteshore Cockles extended the geographic scope of mort disposal to take more diseased salmon in 2017 (it seems that Comhairle nan Eilean Siar granted planning permission in 2012)
 
– Salmon farms in Lewis & Harris and even the mainland (as suggested by the Scottish Government in March 2021 following a meeting with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar) started sending diseased salmon to Whiteshore Cockles AFTER the temporary six month EU derogation granted in 2016 expired
 
– The extra quantity of morts (sourced from Mowi, The Scottish Company and Loch Duart) directly caused further delays in the installation of fish drying machinery at Whiteshore Cockles (a project which still has not been approved by SEPA – and may still not even have applied for a PPC permit)
 
– Meanwhile in Shetland the salmon farming companies Cooke, Grieg and Scottish Sea Farms are understood to have abided by the terms of the temporary six month EU derogation in 2016 and used legal alternatives to landfill from 2017 and beyond (this is understood to have been supported by Shetland Isles Council)
 
 
Scottish Salmon Watch is of the opinion – and this view is obviously guided by the FOI disclosures which have been made already and may be strengthened by any disclosure by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar – that companies such as Mowi, The Scottish Salmon Company and Loch Duart have deliberately ignored the law by dumping more diseased salmon at Whiteshore Cockles after the 2016 temporary derogation.  And it seems that Whiteshore Cockles is funding the fish drier – a project which has taken nearly a decade and still has no pollution permit – via increasing income from the illegal landfilling of diseased salmon.  
 
However you look at this, it stinks to high heaven.  It is a problem entirely of the salmon farming industry's own making – driven by sheer greed to cut costs and their arrogance that they can operate outside the law.  
 
See Tweets via:
 
 
 
I have now copied in Comhairle nan Eilean Siar who may be able to shed light on their 'supervision' (or lack of it) in relation to Whiteshore Cockles and the geographical source of the diseased salmon.  The BBC 'One Show' broadcast in September 2018 clearly shows lorries driving south from Loch Roag on the Isle of Lewis to Whiteshore Cockles in North Uist. 
 
What evidence does the Scottish Government and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar have in relation to salmon farming companies on the mainland using Whiteshore Cockles?
 
Thanks,
 
Don Staniford
 
Director, Scottish Salmon Watch
 
 
 
 
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