Sainsbury's fish counter. (Photo Credit: Sainsburys)

Mislabelled Sainsbury’s salmon still being sold despite public apology

British supermarket chain, Sainsbury's is still selling mainland farmed salmon incorrectly labelled as being from Skye despite apologising recently for the 'error.'

The chain publicly apologised for attributing their product to the “fast flowing sea water locations around the Isles of Skye, Lewis and Uist” after the Salmon & Trout Association Scotland (S&TAS) complained about the issue eight weeks ago. The Association is urging the supermarket chain to sustain its 'responsible sourcing' claims or withdraw them. 

On 20 May, the S&TAS complained to the Advertising Standards Authority and Trading Standards because it had been claimed that the chain's 'Taste the Difference' Scottish salmon was being raised in mainland fish farms in Argyll thus putting in doubt the fish's origin. 

The S&TAS was shocked to find that Sainsbury's is still keeping the same mainland-farmed salmon as part of its stock. 

Hughie Campbell-Adamson, Chairman of S&TAS, said: “The almost unbelievable state of affairs, whereby Sainsbury’s is continuing to pass off mainland farm-reared salmon as having come from the Hebrides, is bad enough."

And he added: "The claims of responsible management at the farms concerned, as Sainsbury’s puts it, to protect and maintain the natural environment, need to be justified. If Sainsbury’s cannot justify their claims, then they must stop making them.”

The Argyll farms in question are Rubha Stillaig, Meall Mhor and Tarbert South.

In the past, the three fish farms have failed to pass the inspection by the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) when sea-lice levels on the farmed salmon were found to be over the quantity tolerated to be approved thus becoming risky to wild salmon stocks. 

Wild salmon and sea-trout smolts are very prone to becoming infested with parasitic sea-lice, which are produced and released in their billions contaminating fish farms with devastating consequences.

“Unfortunately it is not possible for the public to find out the extent or duration of any breaches of sea lice thresholds at individual fish-farms – or what their performance is like today - so the public cannot choose which fish-farms, producers and supermarkets to avoid", said Guy Linley-Adams, Solicitor to the S&TAS.

"This underlines just why we need publicly available weekly sea lice data on an individual farm basis and why Scottish Ministers were so wrong to prevent such a measure being included in the recently passed Aquaculture and Fisheries Act 2013”, he added.

The FHI pointed out that salmon circular cages, known as polar circles, in extremely poor condition were also a main source of concern since they could break down causing a massive escape for farmed Norwegian fish.

Farmed fish on the run poses a threat for the wild salmon's survival since the breed's purity becomes compromised when both species mate.


By Gabriela Raffaele
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

Address:	Stamford House, Stamford Street
City:	London
State/ZIP:	England (SE1 9LL)
Country:	United Kingdom
Phone:	+44 20 7695 6000
Fax:	+44 20 7695 7610
E-Mail:	[email protected]
More about:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Print