New images show depth of marine life in Loch Hourn
The Loch has had a fish farming presence for more than 30 years and the images show the amount of species in it remains strongs.
As well as feather stars and lion's main jellyfish, the images also show peacock worms, kelp, sponges, squirts, hydrozoan, small-spotted catshark, symbiotic fish, wrasse and female cuckoo wrasse, anemones, starfish with tube feet, urchins and nudibranchs, brown crab, soft coral, scallops and more.
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Speaking about the marine survey, Stephen MacIntyre, Head of Environment at Mowi Scotland, explains: 'At Mowi Scotland, protecting our marine environment is at the heart of everything we do.
'That's why we commissioned an independent environmental survey of the seabed and waters around our salmon farm at Loch Hourn, a waterbody that has been the subject of a recent environmental pollution report.
'There are a lot of misconceptions around the environmental effects of fish farming, with rush to judge and apportion cause and effect when reports such as these arise.
'In response, it's important we acknowledge such concerns but that we also investigate, monitor and transparently present observational field data to inform more reasoned opinions.
The Lion's Mane Jellyfish (Image: Mowi Scotland) The images show the amount of marine life (Image: Mowi Scotland)
'There has been a fish farming presence in Loch Hourn for over 30 years with our own surveying of Loch Hourn in recent years showing thriving biodiversity around the farm, which this independent survey further confirms.
'The seabed and our mooring lines are teeming with the presence of sensitive and important marine life with species such as feather stars, sponges, scallops, squat lobsters, soft corals, and small-spotted catsharks within kelp habitats.'
'At Mowi, we are committed to responsible and sustainable operations that ensure we meet our environmental standards and thresholds. We take any concerns that we are not operating to those standards seriously.
'When claims were made that our farm was harming the loch, we investigated. The results are clear: salmon farming in Loch Hourn is not damaging the marine ecosystem. In fact, it's coexisting with it.
(Image: Mowi Scotland) 'The photos definitely speak for themselves. This is what responsible fish farming looks like in a well-managed environment.
'In Scotland we operate to some of the most stringent regulatory controls for fish farming in the world. This is especially so in respect of environmental protections. We have a team of environmental professionals monitoring our farms and with the recent organisational commitment to fund a dedicated survey we are increasingly going beyond our regulatory requirements which will allow us to continue to share data and evidence on the healthy seas around our farms.
'We're proud to farm responsibly, growing healthy salmon for a global market, while preserving the pristine waters of Scotland for future generations.'
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The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
New images show depth of marine life in Loch Hourn
They were commissioned by Mowi Scotland to look at the impact its fish farming presence may have had on marine life. The Loch has had a fish farming presence for more than 30 years and the images show the amount of species in it remains strongs. As well as feather stars and lion's main jellyfish, the images also show peacock worms, kelp, sponges, squirts, hydrozoan, small-spotted catshark, symbiotic fish, wrasse and female cuckoo wrasse, anemones, starfish with tube feet, urchins and nudibranchs, brown crab, soft coral, scallops and more. Read More Speaking about the marine survey, Stephen MacIntyre, Head of Environment at Mowi Scotland, explains: 'At Mowi Scotland, protecting our marine environment is at the heart of everything we do. 'That's why we commissioned an independent environmental survey of the seabed and waters around our salmon farm at Loch Hourn, a waterbody that has been the subject of a recent environmental pollution report. 'There are a lot of misconceptions around the environmental effects of fish farming, with rush to judge and apportion cause and effect when reports such as these arise. 'In response, it's important we acknowledge such concerns but that we also investigate, monitor and transparently present observational field data to inform more reasoned opinions. The Lion's Mane Jellyfish (Image: Mowi Scotland) The images show the amount of marine life (Image: Mowi Scotland) 'There has been a fish farming presence in Loch Hourn for over 30 years with our own surveying of Loch Hourn in recent years showing thriving biodiversity around the farm, which this independent survey further confirms. 'The seabed and our mooring lines are teeming with the presence of sensitive and important marine life with species such as feather stars, sponges, scallops, squat lobsters, soft corals, and small-spotted catsharks within kelp habitats.' 'At Mowi, we are committed to responsible and sustainable operations that ensure we meet our environmental standards and thresholds. We take any concerns that we are not operating to those standards seriously. 'When claims were made that our farm was harming the loch, we investigated. The results are clear: salmon farming in Loch Hourn is not damaging the marine ecosystem. In fact, it's coexisting with it. (Image: Mowi Scotland) 'The photos definitely speak for themselves. This is what responsible fish farming looks like in a well-managed environment. 'In Scotland we operate to some of the most stringent regulatory controls for fish farming in the world. This is especially so in respect of environmental protections. We have a team of environmental professionals monitoring our farms and with the recent organisational commitment to fund a dedicated survey we are increasingly going beyond our regulatory requirements which will allow us to continue to share data and evidence on the healthy seas around our farms. 'We're proud to farm responsibly, growing healthy salmon for a global market, while preserving the pristine waters of Scotland for future generations.'
The National
24-06-2025
- The National
Fife Seafood factory workers treated 'worse than the fish'
Mowi salmon processing plant in Rosyth has been criticised by Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) over a lack of suitable toilet facilities and breaks for almost 1000 staff members. According to reports from The Courier, BFAWU criticised a lack of toilets at the facility and claimed staff toilet breaks were time limited, with workers having to find cover before taking comfort breaks. READ MORE: What's in a seafood stick? Vici's guide to a tasty, healthier snack Mowi refuted the claims, calling them 'false and misleading' and saying there was 'no truth' in claims of a seven-minute toilet time rule that was flagged to the union by staff members. On Tuesday, a report into working conditions at the factory was published by the union, listing a number of concerns raised to them by workers and union representatives at the Rosyth plant. BFAWU claimed there was a 'lack of mitigation to help workers working in cold temperatures' and manual handling practices which could lead to injuries. Claims of 'inadequate' canteen facilities, poor pay and union representation were also highlighted. BFAWU Scottish organiser, Mark McHugh, said: 'Through the work we do representing workers and from talking to members, it seems to often the health and well-being physical and mental, is a secondary consideration for the management of Mowi at Rosyth. 'At times, it feels like the workers are treated worse than the fish. 'This is contrary to their right to their self-congratulatory proclamations about how much they respect human rights. 'We are concerned that basic rights are not applied at their Rosyth plant. No adult should be told when to go to the toilet, if they can go and how long they can go for. 'It is ridiculous and wrong but sadly this is the culture that this report has exposed. 'Our intervention in writing to the company during the writing of this report has resulted in some small improvements and has shown how unions make work safer and healthier, but much more needs to be done at Mowi.' READ MORE: Glasgow Subway set for disruption as strikes announced In response to the claims of sub-par working conditions, Mowi refuted the allegations made by the BFAWU in a statement given to The Courier. A spokesperson said: 'At Mowi we take ethical employment, including the safety and wellbeing of our workforce, extremely seriously. 'We undergo regular unannounced audits by independent third parties to verify this. 'As such, we do take issue with the points raised by the BFAWU which are false and misleading. 'Mowi operates standard procedures in a processing plant. With regard to toilet breaks, there is no truth at all in the allegation that these are timed or limited to seven minutes. 'We do require an allocated number of people working on a line at any given time to keep it running. This is the same for any factory running a production line.' Mowi also emphasised in their statement that all roles are 'risk-assessed by both qualified health and safety professionals and occupational health experts'. The firm said that there are 'several channels' available for staff to raise ideas or concerns including a whistleblowing channel managed by a third party. READ MORE: Scottish Labour MPs set to rebel on UK welfare reform – see the full list Other health and safety procedures highlighted by Mowi include the existence of elected safety representatives for different company departments, millions of pounds worth of investments in new safety equipment, company sick pay policies which 'go further than statutory sick pay' and a 'transparent and fair' reward structure regarding wages. 'Mowi is supportive of our colleagues' rights to join a union and to seek collective representation, should they wish', the spokesperson added. 'We continue to listen to feedback from our employees and take our lead from them. 'In the meantime, we will focus on our absolute commitment to creating and sustaining the best possible working environment for all our employees.'
The Herald Scotland
27-04-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish salmon farms might be fined millions if elsewhere
The NGO found that, over the past five years, more than 350,000 salmon have escaped from underwater sea cages. Escapes of this nature can result in a spread of lice, disease, or DNA from farmed animals to wild animals. Despite over 70 escape or potential escape incidents being reported to authorities, none resulted in financial penalties for the Scottish farmed salmon industry. Penny said: 'If these same egregious incidents had happened elsewhere, the salmon farming industry would have faced serious financial consequences." She added: 'The Scottish Government's failure to enforce meaningful penalties allows enormous companies to cut corners at the expense of the environment and animals.' Animal Equality UK says that, had similar issues occurred abroad, the industry would have faced greater ramifications. In total these examples add up to around £10 million. For instance, in Scotland, 63 potential escape events (through for instance a hole or tearing of the net or other reason) in which no escaped fish were recorded, were reported since 2020 and no fines were imposed. 'In comparison,' says Animal Equality UK, 'Norwegian authorities clamped down on escapes, slapping a £60,000 fine on the salmon industry after a crane tore a hole in a net. No fish escaped during the incident.' Similarly, there are contrasts when fish do escape. When, in Scotland, 80,000 salmon escaped from a boat; regulators stated 'It is not a legal requirement for transporters to report farmed fish escapes' and failed to issue a financial penalty. But, says Animal Equality UK, in Iceland, 80,000 salmon escaped from a farm and the producer received an £656,000 fine. In January 2020, Mowi reported the escape of 73,600 salmon from its Colonsay site in Scotland, following damage to a pen caused by Storm Brendan, and due to 'structural failure'. Scottish Government officials stated that 'It is not a statutory offence for a fish farm to suffer a breach of containment of farmed fish'. 54,000 fish, noted Animal Equality UK, escaped from a Mowi farm in Norway in 2018, and the company received a £347,000 sanction for violating regulations regarding escape prevention in aquaculture facilities. Wild salmon Over the past decade, according to fish escape data between 2014 and 2024, over 700,000 fish have reportedly escaped Scottish salmon farms; no fines have been issued. When, in Chile, almost as many (690,000) fish escaped from a farm, it received a £4.3 million fine. Scottish regulators do not impose fines for fish escapes as this is not considered "a statutory offence for a fish farm to suffer a breach of containment of farmed fish". Animal Equality UK also drew attention to the lack of enforcement around mortalities. 'Soaring deaths,' the NGO said, 'within the Scottish farmed salmon industry have also been a key concern over recent years, with deaths doubling since 2018.' Dead salmon seen from above at a Scottish salmon farm (Image: Scamon Scotland) Again, the NGO compared with another country. In Scotland, 92,192 fish died during storms in the first two months of last year, and no financial penalties were issued; in Norway, 29,990 deaths were attributed to a storm and the company received a £102,000 fine. The company was criticised for poor preparedness and prioritising dead fish over injured fish. "We consider the violation as particularly serious. It has involved a large number of individuals with extensive injuries and poor welfare," the Norwegian Food Safety Authority said. Not all of these events are directly comparable, since each escape or mortality has its own causes and circumstances. Abigail Penny, Executive Director of Animal Equality UK, said: 'There is no meaningful deterrent for companies operating in Scotland. The government is letting mass deaths and environmental damage essentially go unchecked. This cannot continue.' Enforcement of legislation in place for aquatic animals in Scotland is overseen by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI), and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). A freedom of information request (F0198563) revealed that SEPA, primarily responsible for environmental non-compliances, saw an average of one non-compliance every six days since mid-2023, but issued no financial fines. "Between 1 April 2023 and the end of January 2025," it said, "there are 118 records relating to a non-compliance at finfish aquaculture sites, covering a total of 81 sites." The FHI, whose role is primarily to prevent disease spread, saw (also revealed through FOI) a total of 55 legal violations, more than one per week throughout 2024 but imposed no financial penalties since 2021. 47 of these were for record keeping, five were for trade, two were for movement restrictions and one was for authorisation conditions. APHA, which oversees animal welfare, received 22 complaints of welfare abuses since 2022 but has never issued a formal warning letter, Care Notice, or escalated a case related to fish welfare to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. Twenty of these complaints were investigated and 12 resulted in action which either included verbal advice, written advice or follow-up visits. Environmental non-compliances can also spark substantial fines internationally, with salmon companies in Chile receiving a £3.4 million sanction after exceeding 'permitted production' by 11% and crowding cages with too many animals. The company allegedly exceeded by 782 metric tons the amount it is annually allowed to produce at the site in the protected Kawesqar National Reserve between May 2017 and June 2019. Drone footage of diesel leak from sunken vessel, Sound of Mull (Image: Jamie Moyes) By way of comparison, a Loch Garry salmon farm in Scotland exceeded 'permitted production' by 40% (according to data in a SEPA inspection report), receiving no fines. Further, in Canada, a fuel leak of 600 litres saw regulators impose a £301,000 fine, while a Scottish Sea Farms vessel sank in Scotland, pouring 200 litres of fuel into the country's lochs, and was not given a government fine. Loch Garry Freshwater Pen Fish Farm self-reported the production exceedance to SEPA in 2021 and measures to prevent a reoccurrence were put in place by the operator. Read more: A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Fish farming in Scotland is a robustly regulated sector which is subject to a wide range of environmental, fish health and planning controls, all with appropriate and robust enforcement in place. 'Our Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture, published in July 2023, outlines the Scottish Government's ambitions for the sustainable development of the aquaculture sector. This vision emphasises operating within environmental limits and acknowledges the significant social and economic benefits the sector provides today and can continue to deliver in the future. 'Our response to the recent Scottish Parliament committee inquiry on salmon farming details the extensive actions we are taking- collaborating with industry and regulators - to build on the significant progress already made on our key priorities. These include reducing environmental impact, strengthening the escapes framework, and improving fish health.' A spokesperson for Salmon Scotland said: 'Salmon farming in Scotland has one of the most stringent regulation regimes in the world, overseen by several government agencies. The consenting regime for new farms in Norway, for example, is far quicker than Scotland, despite the salmon sector growing at a much faster rate. 'What Scotland needs is better and more streamlined regulation, not less. 'Salmon farmers constantly work towards zero escapes and have a very good record on containment. On very rare occasions when escapes do occur, the scientific evidence indicates there is no long-term impact on wild salmon in Scotland. 'Survival is at a four-year high, down 36% in a year as a result of £1 billion investment by salmon farmers.' The Fish Health Inspectorate reviews each non-compliance on its own merits, at the time of detection taking into consideration other circumstantial information. The majority of the non-compliances detected are not considered significant, with many associated with minor record keeping anomalies or similar, which are easily rectifiable and present no obvious direct detrimental impact to aquatic animal health. A spokesperson for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), said: 'Through our regulatory work we set conditions to protect the environment, check compliance and intervene swiftly and effectively where necessary. 'We expect all regulated operators to understand their impact on the environment and to comply with their obligations in legislation and conditions set out in authorisations. Where we identify non-compliance, we choose the most effective intervention and enforcement action to achieve the swiftest and most effective environmental outcome. There will always be circumstances where enforcement action is required, and we have a number of options available to us including final warning letters, statutory notices, civil penalties and reports to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). 'The form of enforcement action used, alone or in combination, will differ depending on the nature and impacts of any breach. 'Our experience is that most of those we regulate respond to our advice and guidance and come into compliance preventing repeated patterns of behaviour. 'We remain dedicated to tackling non-compliance and ensuring those we regulate to meet their environmental obligations.' Penalty figures quoted in this piece are subject to exchange rate and may vary accordingly.
