Fish Farm Deaths: Secret Reports Reveal Scale of Deaths

Millions of fish deaths from accidental poisoning and suffocation on Scottish salmon farms have been exposed following a regulatory agency's forced release of inspection reports. The UK's Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) initially refused to share these documents, citing potential detriment to companies. However, the Information Commissioner's Office ruled against withholding the information, deeming it a crucial step for public transparency.

Released reports detail catastrophic events, including over 100,000 fish suffocating at a Mowi farm in 2021 due to unattended conditions and a loss of over 1 million fish in 10 hours from hydrogen sulphide at the same site. Another incident in 2022 at a Bakkafrost farm resulted in over 1.5 million fish dying from hydrogen sulphide buildup. In numerous instances, APHA took no enforcement action. Approximately 70,000 fish also died at a trout farm, with survivors culled, though no deaths were initially reported.

Campaigners criticized APHA's secrecy, asserting the public's right to know about farm conditions and regulatory oversight. Concerns were also raised about footage depicting fish suffering from blindness, wounds, and sea lice infestations at a Scottish Sea Farms site. The company supplies fish to retailers like Marks & Spencer and Co-op. These revelations follow a successful Information Commissioner's Office ruling that compelled APHA to disclose previously concealed inspection reports, though future reports still require specific freedom of information requests.