January 10, 2024

 

UK's RSPCA to update farmed salmon standards

 

 

The UK-based nonprofit, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), has begun revising its farmed salmon standards in the face of mounting criticism of the industry.

 

The RSPCA Assured certification was established in 2014 and is awarded to farms, hauliers and abattoirs that conform to strict animal welfare standards. For aquaculture operations, its standards cover animal health, feeding, environmental quality in enclosures, environmental impact, water quality, stocking density, how fish are transported, how they're slaughtered and the wider environmental impact of an aquaculture facility.

 

The standards are based on the RSPCA's core "Five Freedoms:" freedom from hunger and thirst; freedom from discomfort; freedom from pain, injury, or disease; freedom to express normal behavior; and freedom from fear and distress.

 

RSPCA confirmed to SeafoodSource that its standards covering the entire salmon life cycle – from hatchery to slaughter – are entering a revision process.

 

"We are currently preparing to introduce a new revision of the RSPCA salmon standards in the coming months; however, as they are still going through an approval and amendment process, we are not able to provide further details at the moment," an RSPCA spokesperson told SeafoodSource. "We are working on [the timeline for revisions] at the moment; until we have completed the full approval and amendments process, we can't provide a date as it is subject to change."

 

The changes could have significant ramifications for the United Kingdom's salmon- and trout-farming industry, as the majority of salmon production in Scotland carries certification to the RSPCA standards, including farms operated by Loch Duart, Bakkafrost, Mowi and Cooke.

 

RSPCA's standard process is to conduct a revision of its standards every two years in concert with the expertise of industry experts, veterinarians, welfare specialists and other key stakeholders.

 

The RSPCA spokesperson added that publication of the new standards is planned "in the coming months" after an amendment and stakeholder approval process. At that time, they will be shared with RSPCA Assured members and made available on the RSPCA website, the spokesperson said. RSPCA Assured-certified farms will have a minimum of three months to review the new standards before they are required to apply them.

 

The review came as RSPCA president Chris Packham has signaled he is opposed to further expansion of Scotland's salmon-farming industry, saying it has had "catastrophic" impacts on fish and the environment.

 

- SeafoodSource