Chris Packham calls for Scots salmon farming industry probe after zombie fish scandal

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Naturalist Chris Packham has called for an independent investigation into the multi-million pound Scottish salmon farming industry.And he has accused the SNP and Greens coalition government at Holyrood of “riding roughshod” over welfare and environmental issues.Packham, president of Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals (RSPCA), wants to see stricter regulation in the industry – with bans slapped on those who fail to meet high standards.His intervention comes after the Sunday Mail revealed damning footage of badly wounded zombie salmon at a Highland farm.

We also exposed mass deaths of thousands of fish at the site.In an exclusive interview, TV presenter Packham, 62, said: “The Scottish Government hasn’t regulated the practices in a strict enough way.

Therefore they have been able to ride roughshod over any welfare and environmental concerns.“We need an independent review, commissioned by the Scottish Government, into this entire practice, the industry as a whole and its environmental, economic and animal welfare impact.”Earlier this year, underwater footage from activist Don Staniford, revealed by the Sunday Mail, showed badly wounded salmon in cages at Faroese-owned Bakkafrost’s Portree site off the Isle of Skye.

Last month, drone images captured thousands of dead fish being hauled from the water over four consecutive days at the RSPCA Assured site.Bakkafrost insists it takes animal welfare extremely seriously and said the injured fish were attacked by a seal.