Video Nasty: Scottish Salmon’s Toxic Soup in Loch Carron!

 

 

 

 

 

 

"This is the scum – all the salmon fat polluting our waters," says Jamie Moyes in a video report from West Strome salmon farm operated by The Scottish Salmon Company on 8 September 2021.  "Absolutely disgusting, stinking.   Oh my God – it is thick, it is a toxic soup.   And honestly it makes you sick the smell of this.  Look at this scum – look at this fat, toxins, poisons going into our once was clean loch.  This is an absolute environmental disaster, an animal welfare disaster.  This is Scottish salmon – don't buy it.  You think you're buying a healthy product but you're buying tortured animals which are polluting the ocean."

 

Toxic Soup #1

 

Toxic Soup #2

 

Toxic Soup #3

 

 

 

 

 

Here's another video shot by Jamie Moyes at the West Strome salmon farm operated by The Scottish Salmon Company on 8 September 2021:

 

 

 

 

Video footage from The Scottish Salmon Company's West Strome salmon farm in Loch Carron has been shared with Police Scotland's Wildlife Crime Unit, the Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA), the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).  SEPA wrote yesterday (23 September 2021) to Jamie Moyes that the Fish Health Inspectorate "have already attended the site":

 

From: Steel, Andrew <Andrew.Steel@sepa.org.uk>
Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2021 4:39:35 PM
To: jamie moyes <jamieinmaleny@hotmail.com>
Cc: MacPherson, Alison <alison.macpherson@sepa.org.uk>
Subject: RE: SEPA: Pollution event, Loch Carron

 

OFFICIAL – BUSINESS

Dear Mr Moyes,

 

On 13 September you contacted SEPA about concerns for material on the sea surface and in suspension as a result of discharges at the West Strome fish farm site in Loch Carron, where a moored vessel was operating and discharging. Your emails to Alison MacPherson included links to two videos, which your email indicates were recorded on 8 September 2021. You also state that a report had been submitted to SEPA on 5 September. Please advise how the 5 September report to SEPA was made and include any supporting information that you have, emails or screen grabs etc.

Since 13 September Stuart Baird, an Area Manager for SEPA, has tried to contact you by telephone to discuss this matter further. Contact details for Stuart were left by voicemail, but he has not received any response. He can be contacted on 07809 041899, or stuart.baird@sepa.org.uk.

 

We have contacted the operators at Strome and they have advised on treatments undertaken at the site, which includes hydrolicer operations being undertaken on 4 to 8 September 2021 inclusive. Freshwater treatments took place on 5 and 6 September, and bath treatment on 5 September. We understand that around the time of these treatments there was a level of fish mortality at the site, however SEPA do not receive numbers on specific events, as this is reported to the Fish Health Inspectorate.

 

Regarding the material you observed on the sea surface and in suspension, hydrolicers use low pressure water jets to create turbulence that dislodges sea lice from the fish as they are drawn into a treatment chamber on the delousing vessel using pumps.  The material observed is likely to have been residue from the physical treatment and foam which is generated when sea water containing organic matter is agitated. Foams and debris can occur naturally during storms when organic matter is agitated. In the West Strome case, the organic matter agitated by the treatment vessel will have been a combination of mucus and organic matter from the fish being treated in the hydrolicer and organic matter in the seawater pumped through the hydrolicer. The material you observed may have been influenced by the presence of dead fish in the cages, some of which may have passed through the hydrolicer, or by the presence of decomposing fish in the cage being agitated by the flow discharged by the hydrolicer. Given the nature of the material and its expected rapid dispersion, we have no reason to believe it posed a significant pollution risk, however we acknowledge that odour and discolouration was apparent in the area around the fish farm cage group.

Information on a dead fish falling from the net into the sea during loading of the vessel as observed in the video, was reported to the Fish Health Inspectorate, who have already attended the site to review the report. The email of 13 September 2021 @ 17:25 states that you have a video recording of salmon being pumped directly into the sea, however this is not shown or described in the two videos provided. If you do have video of this, please send this to us and we will forward it to the Fish health Inspectorate, as that is within their remit.

Kind regards,

Andrew Steel

Environment Protection Officer, e: andrew.steel@sepa.org.uk, web: www.sepa.org.uk

 

 

 

APHA refuse to provide any site specific details:

 

From: SM-APHA-APHA Scotland (APHA) <APHA.Scotland@apha.gov.uk>
Date: Thu, Sep 16, 2021 at 4:05 PM
Subject: RE: Update on welfare inspection at The Scottish Salmon Company in Loch Carron?
To: salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>

 
Dear Don Staniford,

Thank you for your email. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) take all reports of animal welfare concerns seriously and investigate them. We do not comment on individual cases.

Kind Regards,

APHA Scotland.

 

 

 

 

 

Marine Scotland Science have passed the buck back to APHA:

 

From: <MS.FishHealth@gov.scot>
Date: Fri, Sep 17, 2021 at 8:34 AM
Subject: RE: Update on welfare inspection at The Scottish Salmon Company in Loch Carron?
To: <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>

Dear Don

Thank you for your email requesting an update on the welfare inspection at The Scottish Salmon Company’s West of Strome salmon farm in Loch Carron.

I note you have addressed this enquiry to APHA who are responsible for investigating complaints about the welfare of farmed fish in Scotland. It will be for them to respond as appropriate.

Duty Inspector

Duty Inspector

Marine Scotland – Science

Scottish Government | Marine Laboratory | 375 Victoria Road | Aberdeen | AB11 9DB

Tel: +44 (0)131 244 3498

S/B: +44 (0)131 244 2500

e: MS.fishhealth@gov.scot

w: https://www.gov.scot/marine-and-fisheries/

 

 

 

 

 

 

From: <MS.FishHealth@gov.scot>
Date: Fri, Sep 17, 2021 at 9:52 AM
Subject: RE: Update on welfare inspection at The Scottish Salmon Company in Loch Carron?
To: <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>

Dear Don

Following the receipt of your complaint, MSS are considering the information in relation to fish health regulation. No further information is available whilst the investigation is ongoing. Information on any surveillance undertaken will be published in due course.

Duty Inspector

Duty Inspector

Marine Scotland – Science

Scottish Government | Marine Laboratory | 375 Victoria Road | Aberdeen | AB11 9DB

Tel: +44 (0)131 244 3498

S/B: +44 (0)131 244 2500

e: MS.fishhealth@gov.scot

w: https://www.gov.scot/marine-and-fisheries/

 

 

 
 
FHI Carron
 
 

 
 
 

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