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May 07, 2023

'Gruesome' conditions at salmon farm linked to M&S slammed as images show skips full of dead fish

EXCLUSIVE: Graphic video and images obtained by the Record highlight the scale

EXCLUSIVE: Graphic video and images obtained by the Record highlight the scale of death and disease at the Shuna Point facility near Oban, whose Norwegian owners supply M&S.

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Horrific images showing four tons of diseased dead salmon burned in an incinerator at a Scots fish farm have sparked outrage from campaigners.

Animal welfare groups said the fish had endured "gruesome suffering" at the facility run by Norwegian-owned firm Scottish Sea Farms - the company which supplies M&S.

The Daily Record today reveals graphic footage and pictures, some filmed underwater, uncovering the scale of death, disease and lice at Shuna Point salmon farm in Loch Linnhe, near Oban.

Scottish Sea Farms insisted workers had followed best practice to dispose of the fish - and accused activists of "hand-picking" certain images to "mislead the public".

The firm is the exclusive supplier of Scottish salmon to M&S. In a statement, the supermarket giant said it did not source from this specific fish farm.

The pictures shown to the Record appear to show mass mortalities at the farm, with piles of dead lice-infested fish in skips. Those involved in filming said they had witnessed at least four tons of so-called "morts" being uplifted and incinerated.

Workers then burned the morts in a "masterburn" incinerator on a floating barge.

Underwater footage also shows dead or diseased fish inside cages, with salmon affected by lesions, missing eyes and flanks.

Campaigners have filed welfare abuse claims with cops and the Scottish Government after filming covertly last week, accusing the farm of breaking laws against the "unnecessary suffering" of animals.

We told previously of concerns over "sky-high" mortality on salmon farms in Scotland - with deaths nearly doubling last year to total 16.5million.

Activists blame poor welfare standards, claiming overcrowding has allowed lice and disease to spread.

However, industry insiders insist the reasons are more complex - citing unprecedented swarms of parasitic micro-jellyfish thought to be linked to climate change.

Farmed Scottish salmon is the UK's top food export and continues to grow, with sales reaching nearly £600million last year and supporting thousands of Scots jobs.

Lex Rigby, head of investigations at animal welfare group Viva, said: "Once again, damning footage from inside a Scottish salmon farm – supplying one of Britain's leading household names – reveals gruesome suffering.

"One hundred per cent of Atlantic salmon on our supermarket shelves is factory farmed in Scotland, hidden behind false 'responsibly sourced' assurances.

"Promoted as a ‘sustainable’ solution to overfishing, modern aquaculture confines fish in fetid cages by their thousands, creating a breeding ground for disease and causing widespread devastation.

"It's a disgrace that Scottish salmon producers continue to operate with impunity and it's high time the government took real meaningful action."

Don Staniford, Director of $camon $cotland, said: "Disease-ridden Scottish salmon farming is dead in the water. The camera doesn't lie, unlike salmon farmers and RSPCA Assured.

"The shameless greenwashing and welfare washing of Scottish salmon must be stopped dead in its tracks. Please watch the video evidence and judge for yourselves if these poor Atlantic salmon were ‘responsibly’ farmed.

"RSPCA Assured, M&S, Norskott Havbruk (Scottish Sea Farms) and the Scottish Government should hang their heads in shame for promoting the welfare nightmare that is Scottish salmon."

Video filmed by Staniford and other campaigners shows workers using a crane to move skips full of morts to the incinerator.

One image shows dead salmon spilling onto the deck instead of the incinerator, with an employee holding one fish up revealing a huge lesion in its flank - a sign of disease.

Footage then later shows the activists on board Shuna Point, opening up the remaining boxes to reveal piles of dead, lice-ridden salmon, and saying that the incinerator is still hot to the touch.

Another snap, from nearby Dunstaffnage salmon farm - also run by Scottish Sea Farms - shows a dead seagull hanging from a net after getting caught in it.

Writing to Police Scotland last week to issue a complaint, $camon $cotland said they believed practices at Shuna Point had breached the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.

Comparing the operator to "a serial killer destroying the evidence", the campaign group claimed there was "a huge disease, mortality and welfare problem" at the facility.

But Scottish Sea Farms hit back, accusing activists of pushing a misleading "anti-farming agenda".

The firm said Scottish Government inspectors had turned up at the site within 48 hours of the complaint by campaigners and found no fault.

Scottish Sea Farms head of fish health and welfare Dr Ralph Bickerdike said: "Within any animal population, there will always be a minority that don't fare as well as the majority, much to the distress of those caring for them.

"So, to have activists knowingly hand-pick images of individual fish which are not representative of the general population out on farm, in order to mislead the public about welfare standards and promote their anti-farming agenda, makes matters even more upsetting.

"Reaffirming the cross-sector work that goes into ensuring high animal welfare, within 48 hours of the activist complaint being received the Scottish Government's Fish Health Inspectorate made an unannounced visit to our farm where they were given full access and found the team to have done everything expected of them."

An M&S spokeswoman said: "We are committed to upholding the highest standards of animal welfare, that meet our Select Farm standards and the requirements of RSPCA Assured.

"We do not source from Shuna Point but we take any allegations seriously and will investigate with Scottish Sea Farms."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "We have robust legislation and policies in place to enforce sea lice management on Scottish farms, and the Fish Health inspectorate will investigate high levels of mortality for the presence listed disease."

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