6000 SALMON KILLED AT RSPCA APPROVED FISH FARM

UK - Animal welfare charity Scottish SPCA is leading an investigation into the death of up to 6,000 farmed salmon at a fish farm in Shetland.
On Saturday SSPCA inspectors raided Hoganess Salmon on Shetland’s west side, acting in concert with the police, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, Scottish Natural Heritage and the government agency Marine Scotland, reports Shetland Marine News .
Hoganess Salmon operates from the shore base at Burrastow, near Walls, and grows around 3,000 tonnes of salmon over an 18 month cycle.
Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: "I can confirm that the Scottish SPCA is leading an investigation into alleged fish poisoning in the Shetland Islands, working with SEPA, Scottish Natural Heritage, Marine Scotland and the police.
"This investigation is currently ongoing therefore no further information is available at this stage."
A SEPA spokeswoman also confirmed they were involved in “an ongoing investigation into an alleged fish mortality incident in Shetland”.
Hoganess Salmon is part of the Lakeland Group which is owned by Norwegian firm Marine Farms ASA, who have fish farming operations in Shetland, Argyll, Spain, Belize and Vietnam.
Lakeland’s managing director Willie Liston said problems arose when the company wascarrying out a controlled treatment for sea lice at one of its 16 cages in the area on 15 August.
He said that between 5,000 and 6,000 fully grown salmon, weighing an average of 3.5kg each, had died and the company had immediately launched its own investigation into what happened.
SEPA became involved after dead fish started to be transported to the dump in Lerwick last Thursday, he said. SSPCA and SEPA inspectors visited the fish farm on Saturday morning.
Mr Liston said: “The investigation revolves around a higher level of mortality than we would have expected in one cage while doing a sea lice treatment. I don’t know when that will be finished but we should know something within the next 10 days.”
He said there were different treatments for sea lice and this had been “a gentle bath treatment”.
The cage had been enclosed in a tarpaulin and the treatment had been applied using “one of the latest technology workboats to look after the welfare of the fish”, allowing the dosage to be more finely measured.
The Lakeland Group is certified by the English animal welfare charity RSPCA under its Freedom Foods label, which guarantees that animals are farmed to the highest welfare standards.
Lakeland say their policy is “to farm its fish with due respect to preserving the environment and consideration of animal welfare”.
http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/12953/salmon-deaths-trigger-inquiry

Illegal chemical may have killed salmon

30 Aug 2010... salmon died at the fish farm, based at Burrastow, near Walls. In a statement issued to the Oslo Stock Exchange, Marine Farm has said that ... and farmed fish, lice products not approved for salmon may have been used. ...

www.shetlandmarine.com/.../Illegal%20chemical%20may%20have%20killed%20salmon.htm

Lakeland salmon results prop up Marine Farms' Q2 performance ...
18 Aug 2009 ... Fishupdate.com: News » Aquaculture . The Bergen based salmon, seabass/bream and cobia farming company, Marine Farms ASA, has reported ...
www.fishupdate.com/.../Lakeland_salmon_results_prop_up_Marine_Farms_92_Q2_performance_.html -

Salmon suspended from quality scheme

31 Aug 2010... admitted to the Oslo stock exchange that illegal chemicals may have been used at the fish farm, based at Burrastow, near Walls. ...
www.shetlandmarine.com/.../Salmon%20suspended%20from%20quality%20scheme.htm -
Hoganess Salmon
Lakeland Group

Hoganess salmon operate in western mainland Shetland, particularly Vaila Sound ... is the farm assurance and food labelling scheme established by the RSPCA ...

www.thelakelandgroup.co.uk/hoganess-salmon.html

Salmon Deaths Trigger Inquiry

26 Aug 2010 ... On Saturday SSPCA inspectors raided Hoganess Salmon on Shetland's ... English animal welfare charity RSPCA under its Freedom Foods label, ...

www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/12953/salmon-deaths-trigger-inquiry
The wish list - Features, Food & Drink - The Independent

13 Nov 2004 ... All salmon comes from the RSPCA's Freedom Food approved Loch Duart ... Lakeland offers a choice of gift packs: go traditional with the ...

www.independent.co.uk › ... › Food & Drink › Features

RSPCA warns Scottish salmon farmers to shoot fewer seals
World ...

24 Nov 2008 ... Suppliers risk explusion from the Freedom Food accreditation scheme if they continue killing seals to protect stocks in such large numbers.

www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/nov/.../salmon-seals-rspca-sainsburys

PHILLIP HENSHER THE INDEPENDENT COMMENTS

Reader comments from  "Who will hold the RSPCA to account?"

rspca_exposed
You will find any court case they take to court, they fail to disclose any truely relevant evidence, in case it might help the defendant in their case Which inevitably it would. This is a breach of the CPS ruling on disclosures. They even go into the courts to train the Magistrates, something no other member of the public can do. You will also find if you study the Hansard on the Animal Welfare Act 2006 is unlawful. As it was promised by Ben Bradshaw that the Government would employ 'Inspectors to carry out these case, as the members of both the Lords and Commons though it should not be left to the RSPCA. The Government did not engage any inspectors and failed to admit that they would until the day before the Royal Assent. Why you ask yourself.....the millions that the RSPCA donated to the labour party!!
animalnut
One of my main reservations, should the RSPCA ever be given such powers, is that people would be marched into court on the slightest pretext....that actually happens already! On Animals 24/7, they showed an elderly lady having her two well looked after cats forcibly removed from her simply because they had fleas. The lady was then successfully prosecuted for 'neglect'. You would expect this in a Dictatorship, but not in good old England. The fact that the RSPCA already help to train magistrates, withhold evidence that may be detrimental to their case, and have police and vets willing to say anything that is required of them, means that nobody would ever get an impartial fair trial. They truly have illusions of grandeur!
Dexterland
The British people are known worldwide for their generosity but not their stupidity. Even in the midst of a recession that (let's face it) has hit every household, thousands of pounds have been continually donated to charities here and abroad. I think it is only fair that the people know a bit more about the RSPCA. I grew up thinking that the RSPCA was the first port of call for any distressed pet/wild animal. It is only in recent times that I have learnt more of their 'activities'. They are very keen to help the elderly (no doubt wishing to be beneficiaries of the will when the time comes). One example was an inspector being sent miles to collect a bird from a pensioner with a broken wing. She assured the lady that the bird would be looked after but upon arrival at the shelter the bird was immediately euthenased. She was personally quite sickened by that. Then there was the story of the puppies that were handed in to a police station. The officers contacted the RSPCA to collect the pups. When the inspector arrived they told her that many of the officers had become fond of the pups and would be willing to adopt the pups after the RSCPA has inspected them and signed them off with a fit bill of health. The pups were taken to the shelter and immediately euthenased. Over the course of the weeks the police contacted the shelter to ask about the pups but were told that they had been rehomed......... These pups had homes..... What gives the RSPCA the right to act like god and kill a perfectly healthy animal that has been promised a home? The only way that we can stop this bunch of murderers is to take control of them and stop donating our hard earned money. The only way that this will happen is to tell everyone we know WHAT we know!
 Beryl_White
I have to say that it speaks volumes that the RSPCA themselves were investigated by the Police for animal cruelty in October 2009! I also find it unbelievable that many of their 'franchises' (as you may know each branch is responsible for its funding and donations received go directly to the Head Office) are struggling to keep afloat while their Head Office is a luxurious state of the art building. My advice to anyone seeking help from the RSPCA for an animal is to make sure the press are there with camera's, you will then get them out en-mass!!
 animalnut
Just to add a little pespective here, last year the RSPCA killed in excess of 60,000 animals, 65 dogs were killed were killed using the Captive Bolt Gun, more than one a week.
The Dogs Trust lost 250 dogs, mostly from old age or terminal illness, and THEY have far less income than the RSPCA. Equally the Blue Cross does not kill dogs and cats, no matter how long they've been awaiting a home.
But then the latter two don't go in for ridiculous uniforms and all the trappings, they do what they say on the tin...Animal WELFARE.!
Incidentally, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has condemned the use of the Captive Bolt on domestic pets, but the RSPCA think they know better!
Karel White Bannister
People should be made aware that the RSPCA have no legal rights of entry and definitely canot extract from a home an animal without permission. They are conning the public also in many other ways, such as An Animal for Life. How many poor souls have left this world thinking their pet is safe, and it has been destroyed weeks if not days later. Trouble is too many people are intimidated by the wealth of the RSPCA to come forward and expose them for what they really are. An oversized, overpaid CHARITY.
 cooperative5
The para-military uniforms go to their heads!animalnut 2 days ago
animalnut
And let us not forget the RSPCAs shameless pursuit of a 2.3 million pound farm that they tried to snatch from the legal heir. That case has already cost 1.3 million.....of public donations!
People who donate do so for the good of the animals, not law suits, posh uniforms, ridiculously expensive HQ's and relentless TV advertising.
Beryl_White
The RSPCA appear to be a law unto themselves, answering to no-one, there are many other activities of theirs which require further investigation e.g. taking funds in bequests on the understanding that a persons pet will be looked after and then said pet suddenly acquiring a terminal illness!
animalnut 
The RSPCA do not, in fact, have the power to seize or remove any animals either. The owner or Keeper has to agree to sign them over. What often happens though, is that the owner will refuse, so the RSPCA call the police, who then take the animal and hand it to the RSPCA. There have been cases though where the RSPCA, having secured a tame police officer, will simply remove the animal themselves with no sanction from anyone.
Anyone else doing this would be guilty of theft, but the RSPCA get away with it because nobody stops them. They appear above the Law and able to do just about anything they choose.

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/philip-hensher/philip-hensher-who-will-hold-the-rspca-to-account-2065283.html#disqus_thread

WHO WILL HOLD THE RSPCA TO ACCOUNT?

The RSPCA is one of Britain’s biggest charities. In 2009 it had an income of nearly £120m, of which over five-sixths came in donations. Its work is highly visible, and it gives the impression of having a moral authority which is beyond question. I wonder, how-ever, whether the general public really understands its nature and powers.
Recently, a woman from Coventry, Mary Bale, was recorded on camera behaving rather cruelly to a neighbour’s cat. Evidently under the impression that she was unobserved, she picked the cat up by the scruff of the neck and dropped it in a wheely bin. The cat wasn’t discovered for 15 hours or so, but has since recovered from its ordeal. The neighbours who filmed Miss Bale put the film on YouTube, where it quickly generated a quite extraordinary amount of outrage and hatred. As I write, Miss Bale’s job at a Scottish bank is under threat.
Enter the RSPCA. It was reported that Miss Bale has been “interviewed” by the animal charity, and that they are deciding whether or not to prosecute her. Reading this, you will probably assume that the RSPCA is acting in accordance with its powers. But, in fact, the RSPCA only has the power to bring a private prosecution against somebody who it believes has mistreated an animal. Any private individual could do exactly the same. It has no power to enter anyone’s property uninvited, nor to interview anyone. All it can do is to remove the animal, and to alert the police.
There is plenty of evidence to suggest that the RSPCA’s modes of behaviour are generally interpreted as those of a branch of the police. Unlike other charities, their workers wear police-like uniforms with insignia and badges. It has been reported that RSPCA workers issue a verbal warning very similar to that made by arresting police officers – “You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence...”
No doubt Miss Bale’s behaviour, recorded on the internet, was rather cruel to the poor cat. If she committed a crime, there was some clear video evidence. All the neighbours had to do was to send the evidence to the police, who would decide whether or not there was a case of cruelty to an animal to answer. What on earth was the role of the RSPCA in all of this, and why was it getting involved to the extent of “interviewing” Miss Bale? It wasn’t as if the cat was going to be taken away from a neglectful or brutal owner.
In fact, the RSPCA has about as many powers to interview and enter private premises as any other charity. If the directors of what used to be the Distressed Gentlefolks’ Association took to putting on uniforms and demanding to interview us to discover if we had distressed a gentleman in the street, we would not care for it. If Miss Bale committed a crime against a cat, let the police prosecute her. I dare say they have more of a sense of perspective than this immensely wealthy pressure group, too.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/philip-hensher/philip-hensher-who-will-hold-the-rspca-to-account-2065283.html

RSPCA MADNESS AS THEY PROPOSE TO KILL RESCUED SQUIRREL

ONE MINUTE THE RSPCA ARE PROSECUTING PEOPLE FOR KILLING SQUIRRELS, THE NEXT THEY ARE KILLING SQUIRRELS THEMSELVES!

Arnold the squirrel on death row after RSPCA raids house full of animals

Arnold the squirrel is likely to be put down because it is against the law to cage a wild animal and as a non-native species he cannot be released. IT WAS apparently intended to be an act of kindness.
Seven years ago, Kindred Hummer's daughter called her mum from a park in Brough and said a baby squirrel was being kicked by a group of teenagers.
She asked if she could bring him home and Ms Hummer, seemingly unaware she was breaking the law, agreed.
They named him Arnold and kept him in the loft. When he was a baby he would apparently sit on their shoulders.
He lived in a cage and was let out for a "mad half hour" during the daytime.
Now, after he was taken away by the RSPCA, Arnold faces a death sentence and will most likely be put down.
As reported today, RSPCA officers found Arnold along with more than 50 cats when the raided Ms Hummer's Anlaby home.
The squirrel cannot be allowed to live out his days in captivity because it is against the law to cage a wild animal.
But he cannot be released into the wild because he is a non-native species in the UK.
Ms Hummer said: "When she asked if she could bring him home, I automatically said yes. We tried to put it in a tree and see if the other squirrels would look after him, but they didn't.
"We have kept him ever since. I did not know it was wrong."
RSPCA inspector Sarah Keith said: "It is sad he was taken out of the wild and is now in this situation."
http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/news/Arnold-squirrel-death-row/article-2576788-detail/article.html

WHY DO THE POLICE PASS CRUELTY INVESTIGATIONS TO A CHARITY

POLICE RENAGE ON DUTY TO ENFORCE LAW AND INVOLVE RSPCA IN CASE

Footage has been unveiled showing a woman dumping a helpless kitten in a wheelie bin for no apparent reason.

The cruel act was caught on CCTV by the cat's owners, Daryll and Stephanie Mann, at their Coventry home.
They discovered the trapped cat when they heard her cries and decided to check the footage from their security camera to see how she ended up in the bin.
But when they saw the video, they were shocked to discover it was the work of a middle-aged woman.

The grey-haired lady is caught petting the animal on camera, before looking around to see if she is being watched.
Coventry Police said they had been alerted to what had happened and had passed the matter to the RSPCA.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Woman-Caught-On-Security-Camera-Dumping-Kitten-In-Wheelie-Bin-For-No-Apparent-Reason/Article/201008415703029?lpos=UK_News_News_Your_Way_Region_8&lid=NewsYourWay_ARTICLE_15703029_Woman_Caught_On_Security_Camera_Dumping_Kitten_In_Wheelie_Bin_For_No_Apparent_Reason

ARRESTED FOR NOT GIVING AN INTERVIEW TO THE RSPCA

Norris Atthey is a retired military policeman who for some years has been trying to defend one of the last pockets of red squirrels left in England , around Morpeth in Northumberland (see his website, Morpeth Red Squirrels). He does so by destroying the grey squirrels which across most of the country have seen off their red cousins, not least by infecting them with a fatal disease, squirrel pox. There used to be a bounty on them and it is still an offence to release them into the wild, since they are officially vermin. After trapping them, Mr Atthey has quite legally shot hundreds with an air pistol, very much more humane than hitting them over the head in a sack, as Natural England and other wildlife bodies prefer.
Mr Atthey was outraged when a Burton window cleaner was recently given a criminal record and lost £1,547 in costs after being prosecuted by the RSPCA for drowning a grey squirrel. He publicly challenged the charity by announcing that he had drowned one too. The ever-zealous RSPCA rose to the bait, knocking on his door to demand an interview. He responded that he had no more to say, beyond his published statement. Next morning, the RSPCA official returned, summoning two policemen to arrest Mr Atthey for “causing unnecessary suffering to an animal”. He was handcuffed and taken to the police station at Bedlington, some miles away, where he was held for nine hours in the cells. Eventually he was interrogated for an hour by an RSPCA official, with a policeman standing mutely by, before being released.
Why was Mr Atthey arrested on the orders of the RSPCA? Why was he handcuffed, and imprisoned for nine hours? When I put this to Northumbria police, they replied that “the RSPCA is leading this investigation” and that “the arrested man remained with police until suitable arrangements were in place for an interview to take place”.
This provokes much wider questions, also raised by other cases reported in this column, such as that of Alan Brough, who was held by Carlisle police for six hours while the RSPCA took away his 90 fell ponies, and who immediately went and hanged himself.
The RSPCA, that once-admirable charity, now often seems to pursue animal-lovers through the courts simply to win the publicity that keeps its £115 million a year in donations rolling in. And why do the police now regard themselves as the charity’s enforcement wing? What an admission from Northumbria police that they seek to justify holding a 66-year old man of impeccable character for nine hours by saying “the RSPCA is leading this investigation”. When did Parliament empower RSPCA officials (all ordinary members of the public) to order our police around like this? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/7958103/Arrested-for-defending-the-red-squirrel.html

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST RE RSPCA AWARDED COSTS DECLINED

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/cost_orders_made_to_rspca?post_redirect=1#describe_state_form_1

Make your own freedom of information request here;

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