Sunday Times: "Fish farms scrutinised as antibiotic use soars"

Today's Sunday Times: Don Staniford, a critic of salmon farming, said the industry had a “desperate addiction to antibiotics” https://t.co/HMwxgQQFag @SundayTimesScot @thetimes @MowiScotlandLtd @ScotlandSalmon @rspcaassured @ASC_aqua @sainsburys @AldiUK @LidlGB @asda @Tesco

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 4, 2022

The Sunday Times reported (4 December 2022):

Ben Hadfield of Mowi Scotland told @SundayTimesScot: “Coming from consistently low antibiotic use, our company did see a temporary increase in use" https://t.co/HMwxgQQFag
Don't you mean 'consistently high antibiotic use' & a permanent increase? @MowiScotlandLtd @ScotlandSalmon pic.twitter.com/oKb8Fo9n4m

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 4, 2022

Don Staniford, Director of $camon Scotland (formerly Scottish Salmon Watch), told The Sunday Times:

"Scottish salmon's increasing dependence on drugs is symptomatic of the unhealthy situation inside fish feedlots and raises serious public health and ecological risks. The flood of antibiotics into lochs across Scotland raises the spectre of antibiotic resistance in the food chain and environmental contamination under salmon farms"

"Infectious diseases and welfare problems are running rampant at salmon farms leading to increasing use of antibiotics. Reaching for ever more drugs is a sure sign that salmon pharming is a hopeless junkie. Please say no to drugs, say no to smoked Scottish salmon this Xmas"

"Salmon farming in Scotland – the only sector where antibiotic use is increasing – is shaming the whole of UK farming. Instead of meeting targets, Scottish salmon farming is using nearly nine times more antibiotics and the cycle of drug addiction is spiralling out of control. By boycotting Scottish salmon, consumers can send the crystal clear message that heavy antibiotic use will not be tolerated"

"The requirement to protect our fish from environmental challenges meant antibiotics were used on a small number of farms" said @ScotlandSalmon "We are committed to reducing use as low as possible" https://t.co/HMwxgQQFag
Mmm – it really looks like it! @vmdgovuk #Antibiotics pic.twitter.com/KSexYYuKW9

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 5, 2022

More details are available via a press release and media backgrounder (4 December 2022) – download online here

Undercurrent News reported (5 December 2022):

The Herald reported (2 January 2023):

"The farmed salmon sector is pumping 8.9 tonnes of antibiotics into the sea – an astonishing amount" @1edmountain @heraldscotland "One really has to question if this is something Scottish food producers are happy to be associated with?" @ScotlandSalmon https://t.co/MFTIa9rwPD

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) January 2, 2023