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Scottish salmon firms are being accused of “greenwashing” techniques to cowl up dying charges, sea lice and chemical compounds use, in accordance with an investigation into the business.
Supermarkets together with Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, Michelin-starred eating places and even the royal household are all understood to purchase the fish from Scotland’s seven salmon corporations.
The merchandise are marketed as premium and primarily based on excessive welfare requirements, nevertheless it’s claimed that as an alternative salmon generally endure grotesque deformities or illness, whereas antiseptics and pesticides harm the setting.
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Fish had been struggling ‘visible large wounds and ulcers’ (WildFish)
The salmon giants deny “greenwashing”, insisting their fish are wholesome and the business is very regulated.
Footage was secretly taken at two salmon farms, one owned by Mowi and one by Loch Duart. The charity WildFish, which obtained the movies, stated they confirmed unhealthy ulcers on fishes’ our bodies; jaw and spinal deformities; snout and jaw erosion, and mutilation between fish.
The group’s report, The Reality Gap: An Examination of Scottish Farmed Salmon, in contrast advertising and marketing utilized by the seven Scottish salmon farming firms with dying charges, sea lice ranges and chemical use, and says it discovered they “fail to adequately protect” fish welfare and the setting.
The report says that in 2023, Scottish salmon farms registered a report untimely dying toll, of round 17.4 million.
Mowi, the world’s largest salmon big, which has equipped Tesco and Sainsbury’s, reported 4.7 million of these deaths, and the report lists over 10 ailments discovered amongst its fish. Mowi, which has a royal warrant, has since fallowed its Invasion Bay web site, the place the filming occurred.
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Snout and jaw ulcers had been widespread, activists stated (WildFish)
A farm within the Outer Hebrides run by Loch Duart, whose salmon has been served at royal occasions, reported a 76.8 per cent mortality price in its manufacturing cycle ending in May 2023, in accordance with the report.
But WildFish says Scottish farmed salmon is usually promoted as sustainable, concluding that buyers, supermarkets and cooks are being misled concerning the business’s results.
The advertising and marketing used consists of certification schemes, own-brand labels and use of smokehouses – conventional “artisanal” companies.
“The organic standard for farmed salmon does not prohibit the use of pesticides, instead limiting them to a certain number of uses within a production cycle,” the report authors write.
Last week it was revealed that Scottish politicians “seriously considered” calling for a ban on new farms and enlargement of present websites due to issues over excessive salmon dying charges. The impact on jobs and communities deterred them from doing so.
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Mowi salmon bought by Tesco (Tesco)
The Scottish salmon business produces round 200,000 tonnes of farmed salmon a yr after big enlargement within the Nineteen Nineties.
According to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, greater than 40 million litres of hydrogen peroxide – used to deal with sea lice and amoebic gill illness – had been discharged by Scottish salmon farming firms between 2016 and 2021.
Loch Duart, whose salmon was served at a Downing Street lunch in 2023, reported utilizing 41,250 litres of hydrogen peroxide in 2023, whereas Mowi used 1,303,069 litres, the report says.
The US Centers for Disease Control says hydrogen peroxide is corrosive to pores and skin and eyes at excessive concentrations.
Lex Rigby, of WildFish, stated: “Consumers of farmed salmon are being sold a mistruth – the idea that fish raised in an intensive and destructive production system, where 25 per cent of the fish die prematurely, are ‘responsibly produced’ and environmentally sustainable.”
More than 350 cooks, charities and group teams are supporting the organisation in calling for cooks and eating places to take open-net farmed salmon off menus, in a marketing campaign known as Off the Table.
Mowi Scotland insisted most of its salmon was wholesome, saying: “Mortality in our farms has decreased dramatically after a well-documented marine heatwave receded in the Atlantic.”
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‘None of the salmon companies protects both wild fish and farmed fish welfare, nor the environment,’ says WildFish (WildFish)
Hydrogen peroxide was a secure vet-approved drugs however its use has fallen dramatically, a spokesperson stated, including: “Mowi is constantly investing in new methods and technology to enhance our capabilities in fish welfare.
“The footage from the farm at Invasion Bay is distressing for anyone to watch, not least the farmers who strive to raise healthy salmon.
“We do not accept that the images, which have been clearly edited together, are representative of the majority of the fish grown at this farm.
“Several inspection audits from the RSPCA Assured scheme took place during the year and no issues were raised regarding our husbandry and the welfare of the salmon.
“The allegation that the Scottish salmon farming industry is ‘greenwashing’ is simply not true. The Scottish salmon industry is the most highly regulated in the world.
“Mowi seeks out independent accreditation from third parties including the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) as well as the RSPCA Assured Scheme.
“Mowi has been found to be the most sustainable animal protein producer in the world by the Coller FAIRR Protein Producer Index for six consecutive years.”
The firm stated it was a member of Salmon Scotland, and its Wild Fisheries Fund helps wild salmon conservation.
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Some fish had accidents to their heads and eyes (WildFish)
A spokesperson for Loch Duart stated: “These films show isolated incidents involving just two or three fish from a site raising over 120,000 healthy Loch Duart salmon.
“While distressing, the footage has been selectively edited to misrepresent the overall health of our stock and the integrity of our company.
“During the filming period, the site achieved a 99.7% survival rate—one of the highest in the sector—and exceptionally low, independently verified lice levels at 0.48.
“Loch Duart offers unmatched transparency, being the only salmon farm to invite local fisheries trusts to audit fish health data before submission to regulators.”
On behalf of Tesco and Sainsbury’s, Andrew Opie, of the British Retail Consortium, stated members had been devoted to sourcing seafood merchandise responsibly, working intently with trusted suppliers.
“They regularly review farming practices in their supply chains to ensure they meet the highest standards. Salmon production is really important to the economy and British consumers, and we work constructively with welfare groups to improve production.”
A Waitrose spokesperson stated all its Scottish farmed salmon was licensed to recognised requirements, including: “We require our own independent audits to be undertaken using a sector-leading, bespoke farm assessment scheme to make sure they meet our strict standards. We’re investigating this report’s claims with our supplier.”
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