An update from the WildFish legal team

Everything we do is grounded in science and the law. Here is an update from our legal team – who have had a very busy August so far. 

For our campaign to end open-net salmon farming in Scotland, we have launched an appeal against the decision of Defra to allow the Scottish salmon farming industry to change the Protected Geographical Indication name for its products from “Scottish farmed salmon” to just “Scottish salmon”. We regard this as just another step in the greenwashing exercise being conducted by the industry. This sits alongside our formal complaint to the Competitions and Markets Authority about that industry’s claims of sustainability.

Also this month, we are in formal legal correspondence with the Welsh Government concerning the potential for by-catch of protected salmonid species from Welsh rivers in Welsh coastal nets. We are assessing whether to take this matter to Court.

Across our campaigns, we have made formal referrals to the Information Commissioner on several other matters to do with the certification of salmon farms in Scotland and access to pesticide use records in England and Wales in catchments where SmartRivers volunteers have picked up chemical pollution signatures.

Last but certainly not least, we have been busy looking at water resources – watch this space for news on Water Resources Management Plans. Also, in light of the new Government’s building plans, we are looking closely at whether sewage treatment capacity and water resources availability are properly taken into consideration when planning permissions are granted for new developments.