Why are millions of salmon dying in Scotland?

During a four-month
investigation, between May and
August 2023, Animal Equality
discovered disturbing facts
about the Scottish salmon
farming industry.
The truth
that is hiding beneath Scottish waters
is murkier than we could have
ever imagined.
Salmon in farms across
Scotland are dying in their
droves.
2022 marked
the deadliest year on record,
with over 16.5 million
fish dying on farms
before they even reached
the slaughterhouse.
2023 is equally as alarming,
with the first
half of the year
showing higher death rates
than even the previous year’s
record losses.
The Scottish salmon
industry is due to double
over the next decade.
We must act urgently.
Animal Equality Investigators
visited Scotland to find out
why so many fish are dying
and how we can stop this.
We captured evidence
of a number of concerning
standard industry practices
and learned why so many
fish die on Scottish farms.
Fish farms are
made up of underwater cages.
Salmon are migratory animals
that would normally travel
many miles in the wild.
Cruelly,
the industry confines them
in these unnatural
and crowded conditions
that act as a hotbed
for disease outbreaks.
Many fish suffer
from deformities, blindness,
untreated wounds
or infectious diseases.
Fish farms are also prone
to lice infestations.
The flesh eating lice, quite
literally eat the fish alive,
an especially agonizing
experience for salmon whose
heads and bodies are covered
with sensitive pain receptors.
The industry's attempted
treatments include
chemicals
or the use of de-licer machinery.
But these processes
can be so abrasive and violent
that many fish actually die
from the treatments.
So-called cleaner fish
are also bred and exploited
for the very purpose of eating
the lice off the farmed fish.
Seen as prey to the salmon,
many are hunted during
their short lives
and are eaten alive.
The cleaner fish
who make it through this
grueling process
are then slaughtered,
now considered
worthless to the industry.
Scotland is already feeling
the effects of climate change,
which threatens
the country's citizens,
as well as its stunning
habitats and wildlife.
The impacts will be felt
strongly by farmed fish, too,
since sea pens are open to the
elements, causing fish to die
from the dangerous sea
conditions
and rising water temperatures.
Those salmon who survive
their rough surroundings
and forceful treatments are
also facing another challenge -
predation from wild animals.
Seals, birds, jellyfish
and other animals
can approach the sea pens
and attack the animals
within the cages,
either
killing them in the process
or leaving
them with raw, gaping wounds.
Salmon
are not only considered prey
to animals
outside of their pens,
but also to those
locked in the cages with them.
Salmon are carnivores fish.
Every salmon reared
is estimated to consume
around 150 smaller fish
during their lifetime.
With over 77 million fish
farmed in the UK each year
and many millions more dying
before they even reach
an abattoir,
the Scottish salmon industry
is therefore responsible
for the slaughter of billions
of wild fish every year
who are used for fish feed.
If the salmon remain hungry
after feeding
or become
particularly stressed,
they might chase and kill
other salmon in their pens.
Smaller or weaker salmon
simply have nowhere to hide
and nowhere to escape.
Data doesn't lie, and
the footage speaks for itself.
This is a cruel
and unsustainable industry
responsible for the death
of millions of farmed fish
and billions of wild fish
every single year.
No animal deserves to live
a life in a crowded cage,
being eaten
by lice, hunted by predators,
or suffering
from untreated wounds.
But you can end their
suffering
by boycotting
Scottish salmon today.
By leaving
salmon off your plate
you can save as many as 150
animals with every meal.
Animal equality
is also calling
on the Scottish Government
to stop this industry
in its tracks.
We entrust power
to our politicians in the hope
that they will represent us.
Now is their chance
to hear our collective concerns
and hold the Scottish salmon
industry accountable
for its actions.
But we need people power
in order to ensure
that our message is heard
loud and clear.
So please sign Animal
Equality’s petition today
to demand that
no more planning
permission is granted
for new salmon sites.
And in the meantime,
please leave
salmon off your plate today.
Thank you.