Scottish Sea Farms Faces Criticism for Fish Removal Just Before Parliamentary Delegation’s Arrival

An animal welfare charity, Animal Equality UK, has accused Scottish Sea Farms of removing dead and dying salmon just hours before MSPs from the Scottish Parliament visited the Dunstaffnage fish farm near Oban. The visit, which took place as part of a fact-finding mission, was organized by the rural affairs committee to follow up on a 2018 report that raised concerns about environmental impacts in the fish farming industry.

Animal Equality UK claims the fish farm operator is trying to present a misleading image of the industry, while Scottish Sea Farms maintains that the footage shows routine operations involving the removal of dead fish.

Six MSPs, including Finlay Carson, the committee’s convener, visited the salmon farm, but there was no discussion of the fish removal that had occurred earlier that day. The committee has already heard concerns about rising fish mortality rates in the sector, and this footage has only raised more questions about the industry’s practices.

Representatives from the salmon farming sector are scheduled to appear before the committee next week to provide further insight and address these concerns.

Animal Equality UK’s executive director, Abigail Penny, has heavily criticized the salmon farming industry for failing to address serious issues such as disease, parasites, and overcrowding in their farms. Penny believes that the industry is trying to hide the truth rather than taking steps to improve conditions.

She argued that salmon farms are plagued by parasites and diseases that thrive in densely packed environments, leading to high mortality rates and damage to marine ecosystems.

In response, Scottish Sea Farms defended its actions, stating that the removal of dead or dying fish is a routine part of their operations and not indicative of any mass mortality event.

According to Dr. Ralph Bickerdike, head of fish health and welfare at the company, removing the fish is essential to maintain the welfare of the surviving stock. The company emphasized that this is a daily process and was not connected to the scheduled MSP visit, insisting that they were fully transparent during their discussions with the committee.

The broader context of the inquiry relates to ongoing environmental concerns surrounding Scotland’s salmon farming industry. Issues such as parasitic sea lice, diseases, and the rise of micro-jellyfish, driven by warming sea temperatures, have led to significant fish deaths, with a record 17 million salmon lost last year.

While salmon remains the UK’s largest food export, valued at £578 million in 2022, the industry has faced criticism for its environmental practices. The current parliamentary inquiry aims to assess how well the 65 recommendations from the 2018 report have been implemented to prevent further ecological damage.