Animal Equality UK has called for action after it said it had been “kept in the dark” following footage, captured this summer, of alleged animal welfare abuse at a Bakkafrost-owned Scottish salmon farm.
The charity wants more information disclosed to it and the wider public after it allegedly uncovered “serious animal welfare and legal breaches” at the major salmon producer’s site in Aird.
The Scottish salmon farm was reportedly “empty of fish”, Animal Equality UK said, but covert footage filmed on 14 July showed salmon at the site “exhibiting signs of prolonged suffering due to sea lice infestations, open wounds, and visible lesions”.
Leased from Crown Estate Scotland, the farm was RSPCA Assured and supplied Tesco’s Finest range.
“Despite following the proper processes and submitting a formal complaint to regulators months ago, we still have no information about what action, if any, will be taken in response to our findings,” said Abigail Penny, the executive director of Animal Equality UK, who said policies need to be preventative, not reactive.
“How was it ever possible for fish to be left in a farm that was designated as empty? These fish were confined in cages, left to slowly starve and be eaten alive by lice,” she added. “This is a grave situation, and the response must match the severity of what has happened.”
This comes following another major producer Mowi lost its royal warrant last week after footage emerged of animal abuse at one its sites.
“Five months ago, a very small number of fish were identified at our site on Loch Torridon, which had been declared fallow,” a Bakkafrost spokesperson said.
Asked what action it had taken since July, the company said it had acted immediately to remove the fish and was working with relevant authorities. It has also undertaken a “comprehensive review” and “implemented enhanced controls”.
“At Bakkafrost Scotland, fish health and welfare are central to everything we do, and we remain committed to the highest standards of care and continuous improvement across operations,” added the spokesperson.
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Tesco said it immediately suspended the farm after it saw the “extremely concerning” footage and was currently investigating the site with Bakkafrost.
“Any failure to meet our high welfare standards is unacceptable and we take swift action where necessary,” a spokesperson said.
It comes as on Thursday night campaigners disrupted the RSPCA’s annual PawPrints Awards to protest what it said were the charity’s “double standards”, alleging it protected dogs and cats whilst “endorsing intensive factory farms that confine, mutilate, and kill millions of pigs, chickens, cows and fish each year”.
Approached for comment regarding the accredited Aird salmon farm, RSPCA Assured confirmed it was investigating the allegations and said it prioritised the welfare of farmed animals, taking concerns of poor welfare and breaches of its standards “extremely seriously”.
A spokesperson for Crown Estate Scotland said it took allegations, such as those raised by Animal Equality UK in its footage, seriously and expects its tenants to “maintain good stewardship of the natural environment”. It added the responsibility to investigate such allegations lay with the Fish Health Inspectorate.
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