‘Unacceptable Greenwashing’: Scottish Farmed Salmon Should Not Be Labelled Organic, Say Charities

Open letter calls for Soil Association certification to be removed from industry, amid concerns of negative environmental impact

The British body that certifies food in the UK as organic has been accused of misleading consumers over its labelling of Scottish farmed salmon.

Thirty charities, conservation and community organisations, including WildFish, the Pesticide Action Network and Blue Marine Foundation, say the negative environmental impacts of the industry in Scotland “run completely counter” to the principles of the Soil Association’s promotion of healthy, humane and sustainable food.

In an open letter to the association, which plans to update its organic fish farming standards, the groups call for the removal of its certification of Scottish salmon and trout farms, as “unacceptable greenwashing of an unsustainable industry”.

In December, the broadcaster and presenter Chris Packham called for a halt to the growth of salmon farms in Scotland, as official figures suggested farmed salmon mortality had hit record levels in 2023. Packham, the president of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), said the industry was “catastrophic” for fish welfare and Scotland’s environment.