Covert filming of farmed trout apparently suffering at an abattoir last year led to a firm being formally warned. New footage has prompted a fresh complaint.
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Highland trout firm accused of animal welfare abuses
Covert filming of farmed trout apparently suffering at an abattoir last year led to a firm being formally warned. New footage has prompted a fresh complaint.
A trout abattoir has been accused of animal welfare abuses for the second time in less than a year following covert filming at the Highland site.
The Ferret published footage last October of farmed trout apparently suffocating, haemorrhaging, and being beaten with batons at a slaughterhouse in Ardnish, Loch Ailort. The site is operated by Loch Alba Trout, a company based in Stornoway.
The video was obtained by Animal Equality UK which lodged an official complaint at the time with a government regulator.
The charity has now obtained new footage allegedly showing fish left to “slowly suffocate after ineffective stunning” at the site.
It claims the video once again “raises serious questions” about compliance with animal welfare law and “whether animals are being spared avoidable pain and suffering”.
A fresh complaint has been submitted to the Animal and Plant Health Agency Scotland (APHA) by Animal Equality, which alleges breaches of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.
RSPCA Assured, the animal welfare food labelling scheme, is also examining the new footage. Last year it issued a “formal warning with strict sanctions” – including two unannounced visits to the site – after seeing the initial footage.
Abigail Penny, executive director of Animal Equality UK, claimed the regulatory system is “dismally failing farmed fish” due to “too few inspections, weak legal guidance and a lack of meaningful enforcement”.
She told The Ferret: “In just a matter of minutes, we documented animals showing unmistakable signs of consciousness after attempted stunning, thrashing desperately in ice and, in one case, being punched by a worker.”
RSPCA Assured confirmed it was looking into the latest allegation and said the welfare of farmed animals is an “absolute priority”. A spokesperson added: “We take all concerns about poor welfare or breaches of the RSPCA’s standards extremely seriously. Anyone concerned about the welfare of a farmed animal should contact us immediately so we can take appropriate action as quickly as possible.”
A spokesperson for the Animal and Plant Health Agency Scotland said: "We treat all reports of suspected cases of poor welfare at salmon farms very seriously and we will not hesitate to take further action if we find evidence of cruelty or neglect."
Loch Alba Trout has been asked to comment. Last year, when it operated under its previous name, SeaQureFarming Group, the company told The Ferret it takes fish welfare “extremely seriously” and would take “any necessary action” to improve its operations.
“We are always keen to make continual improvements to all our operations and support a beyond compliance approach,” a spokesperson told The Ferret last October.
Billy is a founder and co-editor of The Ferret. He's reported internationally and from Scotland, and focuses on far right extremism, human rights, animal welfare, and the arms trade. Likes longform storytelling and photography.
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Billy Briggs
