Whitewashing Welfare Abuse of Scottish Salmon (as sponsored via RSPCA, SSPCA & APHA)

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

A Freedom of Information disclosure by the Animal & Plant Health Agency to Scottish Salmon Watch (13 April 2021), lifts the lid on how welfare abuse on salmon farms across Scotland is being whitewashed. Here's one of the redacted photos showing welfare abuse by RSPCA Assured Scottish Sea Farms (it is actually called Norskott Havbruk and is owned by the Norwegian companies Leroy and SalMar) who supply M&S with "happier" and "healthier" fish.

I would show you more but the others are all whitened out blank space with a tiny black square in the middle. Scottish Salmon Watch understands – from video footage and photographs which were published last year – that the information redacted by APHA included evidence of welfare abuse in Loch Creran 'Special Area of Conservation'.

Film footage shows sea lice currently out of control on many west coast salmon farms: https://t.co/1Slp3NR9OK #salmon #salmonfarming #scotland #sealice pic.twitter.com/fyPGSfLZ08

— Mark Bowler (@FFFTmag) October 30, 2020

It is understood that BBC's Countryfile broadcast video footage in December 2020 from one of the RSPCA Assured salmon farms censored by APHA.

RSPCA claim they "did everything they reasonably could" with respect to welfare abuse @scotseafarms @marksandspencer @SSPOsays in Loch Creran @BBCCountryfile @joe_crowley https://t.co/G4dXeILsTk
Surely it is reasonable to question why @rspcaassured still certify salmon farms? pic.twitter.com/lfVVFa5GE8

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 7, 2020

APHA's heavily censored FOI disclosure (13 April 2021) included a welfare complaint filed appropriately on Halloween last year. The complaint regarding an "urgent animal welfare issue" has been redacted along with what is understood to be video footage and/or photographic evidence of welfare abuse at Scottish Sea Farms in Loch Creran (a salmon farm accredited via RSPCA Assured and sold via M&S as "responsibly sourced").

Here's another document disclosed by APHA on 13 April 2021:

Just this week (12 April 2021), M&S launched a new ad campaign promoting RSPCA Assured Scottish salmon (sourced exclusively from Norwegian-owned Scottish Sea Farms):

How to submit a complaint to the ASA about dodgy M&S salmon ads @Ecohustler @marksandspencer @LucyWeather @scotseafarms @LeroySeafood @ASA_UK @SSPOsays @TheGrocer https://t.co/NSL7WHRY1P

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) April 15, 2021

Strangely enough, M&S did not use photographs of diseased farmed salmon from Scottish Sea Farms sourced from the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate or maggot-infested morts at Scottish Sea Farms off the Isle of Tanera in the Summer Isles.

Scottish Salmon Watch will be filing a FOI review request asking APHA to provide all the information requested including the heavily redacted reports and complaints concerning welfare abuse on salmon farms. Here's APHA covering letter dated 13 April 2021 explaining their reasons for censorship.

Here's all the documents – many heavily redacted – disclosed by APHA to Scottish Salmon Watch on 13 April 2021:

Appendix 1; Appendix 2; Appendix 3; Appendix 4; Appendix 5; Appendix 6; Appendix 7; Appendix 8; Appendix 9; Appendix 10; Appendix 11; Appendix 12; Appendix 13; Appendix 14; Appendix 15; Appendix 16; Appendix 17; Appendix 17a; Appendix 18; Appendix 19; Appendix 20; Appendix 21; Appendix 22; Appendix 23; Appendix 24; Appendix 25; Appendix 26; Appendix 27; Appendix 28; Appendix 29; Appendix 30; Appendix 31; Appendix 32 and Appendix 33

Documents disclosed by APHA to Scottish Salmon Watch via FOI on 13 April 2021 included reports of welfare abuse at Grieg Seafood's salmon farms in Loch Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye.

Mortalities at another Grieg Seafood salmon farm in Loch Dunvegan (Leinish) were even higher – a staggering 107,700 in one week representing 28% mortality – as reported by APHA during an inspection with Marine Scotland on 25 August 2020.

Unbelievably, APHA signed off this appalling case of over 150,000 farmed salmon dying in a five-week period as "compliant".

And those APHA inspectors work so quickly that in less than five hours they 'inspected' over a quarter of a million fish taking action against zero (presumably the 150,000+ fish that just died did not need any action to be taken)!

So whilst APHA found Grieg Seafood to be "compliant" in terms of animal laws, here's video evidence of welfare abuse captured by Scottish Salmon when we visited their Dunvegan salmon farming operation – on a public pier – in July and September 2020.

The Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate conducted a 'Passive Surveillance Inspection' of Grieg Seafood in Loch Dunvegan in July 2020.

Grieg Seafood reports Heart & Skeletal Muscle Inflammation (Piscine Reovirus) in Loch Dunvegan on Skye https://t.co/JQz2K2rsoL @GriegShetland @SSPOsays @marinescotland @APHAgovuk @IainNaHoe @WHFP1 @ScotSalmonTank @KateForbesMSP https://t.co/jDOzHQZvkB @FergusEwingMSP @scotgp pic.twitter.com/7yQPhqifS4

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) September 21, 2020

In view of the stench of death and losses of fish, it is not suprising that Grieg Seafood decided in late 2020 to sell up in Scotland.

Norwegian-owned Grieg Seafood waves goodbye to Scotland – leaving mass mortalities, infectious diseases, escapes, dead seals & environmental pollution in their wake! @GriegShetland @GriegNL @Folketrygdfond @SSPOsays @tavishscott @bbcshetland #Shetland https://t.co/BkWCsFCg0h pic.twitter.com/6VfD7PnhUP

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 17, 2020

“Scotland produces the best salmon in the world to the highest standards" @tavishscott @heraldscotland
New head of Scottish Salmon wants "to take salmon farming in Scotland to the next level" @SSPOsays https://t.co/BkWCsFCg0h
You haven't reached the bottom of the barrel yet?! pic.twitter.com/jwXnoud4CX

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 27, 2020

Mortality data published by the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (the lobby group representing the predominantly Norwegian-owned 'Scottish' salmon farming industry) reveals that Grieg Seafood reported a cummulative mortality rate of almost 80% – that's four out of every five fish dying – at their Leinish salmon farm in Dunvegan and just over 50% at their Corlarach salmon farm in Loch Dunvegan!

Such staggering levels of mortality and welfare abuse beg the question: at what level of mortality does the RSPCA, SSPCA, APHA and the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate deem there to be welfare abuse? If four out of five lambs in a field were dying or four out of every five cows dropped dead the general public would be outraged.

Yet the remoteness of salmon farms – where problems are 'out of sight, out of mind' – mean that the salmon farming industry is getting away with mass murder of millions of farmed salmon. Why are millions of dead fish each year on Scottish salmon farms tolerated by the welfare authorities?

Further documents disclosed by APHA to Scottish Salmon Watch on 13 April 2021 paint a picture of a so-called animal health agency engaged in whitewashing welfare abuse. Here's documents disclosed in relation to welfare abuse at a freshwater salmon farm operated by Kames Fish Farming in Loch Tralaig in Argyll.

The day after the complaint was filed by Scottish Salmon Watch, it seems that Kames had been tipped off about APHA's joint inspection visit with the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate.

Here's APHA's 'Report on Fish Welfare for Scottish Government' providing details of the inspection visit on 17 September 2020 (Kames therefore had plenty of time to clean up their disease-ridden salmon farming operation).

Another 'Fish Farm Inspection Report' marked "Official-Sensitive" detailed how APHA inspected 70% of 200,100 fish at the RSPCA Assured Loch Tralaig salmon farm in September 2020.

When Scottish Salmon Watch visited Loch Tralaig and Kames in Kilmelford earlier in September 2020 we found clear evidence of welfare abuse, mass mortalities and the use of carcinogenic chemicals. If this is a company in compliance of welfare laws then the legal regime require urgent upheaval.

In August 2020, Police Scotland charged a Kames employee with assault following a death threat over filming.

Watch shocking video footage of a salmon farmer (Gregor Maclellan @kamesfishfarm) issuing a death threat and assaulting a local resident in Loch Tralaig! https://t.co/5kpgJpvOGD @rspcaassured @obantimes @policescotland pic.twitter.com/1Vrj12O5kn

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) November 5, 2020

Here's video footage of Kames using the cancer-causing chemical Formalin (Formaledhye) to treat for disease in RSPCA Assured farmed salmon at Loch Tralaig.

It seems that salmon farming companies are aware of APHA 'inspections' in advance. In another case disclosed by APHA via FOI, it seems that the head veterinarian at Scottish Sea Farms (who was appointed chair of the SSPCA in 2018) was aware of a "possible APHA visit" to his Scallastle Bay salmon farm beforehand.

And it seems that by the time APHA did visit Scallastle Bay all the farmed salmon had been harvested out!

Reading between the redacted lines, it appears that APHA's 'inspection' of Scallastle Bay was prompted by a complaint in October 2020 which attached ca. 19 photos.

And it appears that APHA tipped Scottish Sea Farms off regarding the outcome of their 'investigation' (Scottish Salmon Watch will be following this up with DEFRA).

Is it just me or does this case smell of collusion if not corruption?

This whole case – and others – do smell decidedly fishy. Here's APHA's 'Welfare Incident Record & Veterinary Assessment' dated 13 October 2020 for Scallastle Bay salmon farm (Scottish Sea Farms).

A 'Report on Fish Welfare for Scottish Government' dated 22 October 2020 detailed disease problems at Scallastle Bay salmon farm including Cardiomyopathy Syndrome, mass mortalities, use of toxic chemicals (Emamectin benzoate, Azamethiphos and Hydrogen peroxide) and repeated mechanical treatment of lice infestation with Thermolicers and Hydrolicers. APHA's report cited another welfare complaint for an RSPCA Assured salmon farm operated by Scottish Sea Farms in Loch Spelve (even though APHA spelt it Spelvie) also on the Isle of Mull.

A 'Fish Farm Welfare Inspection Report' for Scallastle Bay – which again cites another welfare complaint regarding Loch Spelve (again spelt incorrectly) details how APHA's 'inspection' of RSPCA Assured Scottish Sea Farms involved zero fish since the farm had been depopulated (i.e. all the evidence had been taken away) and the site was therefore "empty at the time of the inspection". The report referred to photos of lice infestation but did not include them and stated that "by the picture provided it's not possible to make any valuation on the extent of this infestation across the farm". Another picture of a damaged fish was attributed to a seal attack and was "investigated with analysis of predator policy and records".

The botched 'investigations' and breathtakingly bad detective work of so-called 'inspectors' does make you question the level of competence.

Surely a case for @rspcaassured? @RSPCA_official
They must have been based on the bungling TV “Detectives” – never there at the right time 😂 pic.twitter.com/y7As4mGSff

— Salmon Farming 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦🇨🇱🇳🇴🇫🇴 (@Salmoncon) April 14, 2021

Scottish Sea Farms certainly have "previous form" in relation to Loch Spelve.

Welcome to The Killing Farms – another horror story from Scottish salmon https://t.co/ppdZZHNl8N New data on mass mortalities & culls @marinescotland 376,000 dead in Loch Spelve @scotseafarms 199,000 cull on Lewis @salmon_scottish 25,966 Thermoliced @MowiScotlandLtd @rspcaassured pic.twitter.com/p2QcEnMKTJ

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) February 13, 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

When Scottish Salmon Watch visited Loch Spelve and Scallastle Bay in 2018 we found evidence of lice infestation at RSPCA Assured Scottish Sea Farms.

Secret Filming Reveals Shocking Images of Unhealthy Scottish Salmon, Lice-Infested Cleaner Fish & Maggot-Infested Morts https://t.co/V0NdeTXCGu @scotseafarms @salmon_scottish @SSPOsays @JulieHL @SalmonTroutCons @ScotSalmonTank @philip_ciwf @ciwf @SumOfUs @onekindtweet @PETAUK pic.twitter.com/U2lW9R93b4

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) September 4, 2018

Mortality rates at Scottish Sea Farms (and other companies) are shockingly high – as reported by the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation:

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

Another salmon farm 'inspected' by APHA in September 2020 was Mowi's Lochailort Recirculation Unit – a facility opened by the then First Minister Alex Salmond in 2015. APHA's 'Fish Farm Welfare Inspection Report' cited "some evidence of fin damage" in farmed salmon due to "precocious parr (gonad development in the males causing aggression)" – something which females in the Scottish Government close to 'sex pest' Alex Salmond or the allegedly aggressive bully Fergus Ewing may just possibly relate to.

A previous FOI disclosure by the Scottish Government in February 2020 revealed that Mowi's Lochailort hatchery has imported ova (eggs) from Norway as well as Iceland (in 2019 there was a ban on ova imports from Norway due to disease risks leading to a flood of imports from Iceland before the Norway ban was lifted in 2020).

The FOI disclosure by APHA to Scottish Salmon Watch on 13 April 2021 also gives a glimpse into how super-speedy the 'inspectors' work. A 'Fish Farm Welfare Inspection Report' of the Barcaldine Smolt Unit operated by Scottish Sea Farms dated 14 September 2020 details how APHA inspected 1,597,623 farmed salmon – that's bloody good going for a day's work (and may explain why APHA didn't have time to take any photos). Even more impressive, APHA reported that every single one of the 1,597,623 fish 'inspected' at the Barcaldine facility was "compliant".

The Ferret reported in February 2019:

The cases 'investigated' by APHA in 2020 are not the first time welfare agencies have been accused of whitewashing cruelty and unnecessary suffering on salmon farms. The Ferret reported in September 2019:

The Ferret article by award-winning investigative journalist Rob Edwards included:

Last month, Compassion in World Farming and OneKind published damning video footage and a report detailing welfare abuse on salmon farms across Scotland.

EXPOSED: The true cost of the multi-billion-pound Scottish salmon industry. New footage shows how it causes suffering to salmon. Urge the Scottish government to put a full stop on expansion plans urgently NOW. Take action at https://t.co/Fsdqgi8MeA #ScottishSalmonScandal pic.twitter.com/DnaBmBnBbp

— OneKind (@onekindtweet) March 23, 2021

"Welfare abuse on salmon farms is rampant across Scotland," said Don Staniford, Director of Scottish Salmon Watch who raised the issue in a letter to the Secretary of State (20 April 2021). "It is painfully clear from shocking video footage that the RSPCA, SSPCA, APHA and the Marine Scotland are failing to stop cruelty and unnecessary suffering inside salmon cages. The Go Pro camera doesn't lie – unlike the foreign-controlled 'Scottish' salmon lobby. Consumers should take a hard look at the damning video footage gathered by investigators and watch Netflix's 'Seaspiracy' which showcases diseased Scottish salmon at a Mowi salmon farm certified by RSPCA Assured and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council. The take-home message is please don't buy Scottish salmon – it's fatty, artificially coloured, cheap and nasty as well as leaving a bad taste in the mouth."

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

Scottish salmon farmers reject all claims of them mistreating their fish. They're lying. Just as they always do.

— Nikki MacLeod (@jazznikki) April 1, 2021

In May 2020, APHA (an executive agency of DEFRA) told Scottish Salmon Watch via Freedom of Information that they had visited 35 salmon farms between 2013 and April 2020 with only one salmon farm visited in the years 2014 and 2015.

In view of the fact (as sourced from the latest Scottish Government data published in October 2020) there are 76 freshwater salmon farms and 226 sea cage salmon farms (that's 302 salmon farms in Scotland in total) one might question the efficacy of APHA's inspection regime.

A FOI reply from APHA dated 20 November 2020 even claimed that "APHA have carried out no inspections" of salmon farms since 1 May 2020.

However, APHA finally disclosed documents this week (13 April 2021) following another FOI request in March 2021 by Scottish Salmon Watch (APHA's interpretation of 'inspection' was so narrow that APHA visits to salmon farms with the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate – who also inspect salmon farms – slipped through the FOI net).

Scottish Salmon Watch reported in April 2020:

Censored: Welfare Abuse on Salmon Farms – redacted FOI documents reveal welfare breaches of Animal Health & Welfare Act @rspcaassured @MowiScotlandLtd https://t.co/oJ5ad7XxZw @APHAgovuk @marinescotland @ProfCMDwyer @SSPCA_Mike @SSPOsays @ChrisGPackham @markruskell @scotgp pic.twitter.com/7Fr5ANyTC4

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) April 23, 2020

Fish Farming Expert reported (27 May 2020) that the RSPCA suspended in-person assessments of salmon farms on 23 March with contactless assessments available by mutual agreement on Monday (1 June):

So instead of on-farm inspections (for which the RSPCA rake in over £500,000 per year for certifying ca. 60% of salmon farming in Scotland as 'welfare friendly') RSPCA auditors who include former Mowi manager Ian Michie conduct inspections via WhatsApp, Google Meet and Google Hangout.

RSPCA suspend salmon farm in-person inspections in favour of WhatsApp, Google Meet & Google Hangout! https://t.co/utN4DXzstt @rspcaassured @RSPCAChris @RachRSPCA @RSPCA_Frontline "Contactless assessments" by mutual agreement on 1 June. "Physical visits are not mandatory" pic.twitter.com/6mYeRw96GH

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) May 30, 2020

Scottish Salmon Watch reported in September 2020:

Secret Filming Exposes Welfare Abuse at RSPCA Assured Kames @kamesfishfarm @rspcaassured @MairiGougeon @APHAgovuk @ProfCMDwyer @LynneUSneddon @Animallawyersuk @SSPCA_Mike @SSPOsays @GreenerScotland @SaveOurLochs @andrholder @obantimes @strathearnrose https://t.co/Dtc6rSKG1L pic.twitter.com/7VEmiyUsUA

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) September 24, 2020

The Ferret reported (24 September 2020):

An investigation has been launched into conditions at an Argyll fish farm after footage emerged of dead and dying salmon floating in cages on a freshwater loch.https://t.co/WZTX93fdnL

— The Ferret (@FerretScot) September 24, 2020

Fish Farming Expert reported earlier this week (12 April 2021) on another welfare whitewash by the RSPCA.

An unconfirmed report points to the RSPCA hiring a new eagle-eyed team charged with sniffing out welfare abuse on salmon farms (the speculation is that Mowi, Scottish Sea Farms, The Scottish Salmon Company, Cooke and Grieg Seafood are supplying life-jackets with company logos and have kindly donated a rowing boat to get out to the farms).

Completely unfounded rumours are that the crack unit of inspectors are led by David Blunkett's guide dogs and include trusted lobbyist Tavish Scott, Mr Magoo, Stevie Wonder, the Blind Boys of Alabama and Medusa as back up to prevent prying eyes.

"I don't recognise your figure (26% mortality)" says @tavishscott to @joe_crowley @BBCCountryfile https://t.co/orFCNlIgG7
Even Mr Magoo would recognise the fact that over a quarter of all Scottish salmon are dying in just the sea-phase of production! @marinescotland @SSPOsays pic.twitter.com/OwDboVoqgA

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 7, 2020

There's absolutely nothing to see here.