Outer Hebrides Against Fish Farms (OHAFF) is calling on the Scottish Government to end the licensing and use of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at fish farms in the Outer Hebrides and the west coast of Scotland after official figures released to the campaign reveal the eye-watering truth about its use in local waters to treat disease-ridden farmed salmon – and the year on year figures reveal a five-fold increase in usage of the harmful chemical at fish farms across Scotland since 2011.
Many species of marine fauna and flora (including mussels, oysters, prawns and vital algae) are highly sensitive to hydrogen peroxide, which in even small concentrations can cause mutations or mortality, and the viability and sustainability of shellfish fisheries and local tourism in the west coast of Scotland and the Outer Hebrides in particular is now being directly threatened by the excessive usage of the chemical and its disposal in our sea waters.
The combined figures for the use of the chemical in well boat and bath treatments shows that across Scotland show that 2,684,821 litres of H2O2 were used in 2012, more than a five-fold increase from the 527,463 litres used across Scotland in 2011:
In detail:
- The Scottish Salmon Company used a total of 474,854 litres of Hydrogen Peroxide in fish farm treatments in 2012 – including 32,000 litres at its Eughlam fish farm; 21,867 litres at its Trileachan Mor site; 20,700 litres at its Plocropol fish farm; 55,275 at Kyles Vuia and many thousands of litres at its other sites.
- Marine Harvest used a mammoth 1,156,930 litres of H2O2-based treatments in 2012 rising almost ten-fold from the 172,710 litres the company used in 2011. In 2011, the company used 69,300 litres in treatments at its Mid Loch Shell / Pairc fish farm facility, and in 2012 it used 225,500 litres at its Seaforth fish farm.
- Lakeland Marine used 105,506 litres in 2012 and 69,073 in 2011;
- Scottish Sea Farms 393,406 litres in 2012, and 251,861 in 2011;
- Hoganess Salmon used 74,045 litres in 2012, and 8,670 in 2011;
- Kames used 251,649 litres in 2011;
- Thompson Brothers used 3,840 litres in 2012;
- Meridian 145,834 litres in 2012.
- In 2012, Loch Duart Ltd used 330,400 litres of hydrogen peroxide based chemicals in bath treatments, including 27,000 litres at the company’s Groay farm, where the company is currently seeking approval for a controversial expansion of its operations. At Caolas Loch Portain the company used 162,050 litres of the treatments.
After use in the treatments – which often kill significant numbers of the farmed salmon they are supposed to treat – the hydrogen peroxide is discharged directly into the sea.
Angus Campbell, a Harris based fisherman and key tourism operator providing wildlife, diving and trips to St Kilda and in local waters, said: ”Since 2005, during the summer months (April to October) we have diversified our business by running tourist trips to St Kilda. This is now a UNESCO World Heritage Marine site which demands that various organisations look after it. We now feel that the amount of chemicals and especially H2O2 being dumped in our waters will eventually have an impact on the Archipelago so near to us.
“We have invested over £1 million in new state of the art vessels to offer diving excursions along with wildlife trips. We are now in danger of loosing these activities as, for the first time ever we have found fish farm pellets in the wild stock of Pollock, Saithe, Mackeral about a mile from the closest site. Anglers were not happy with this and even after some debate with ourselves to persuade them it was still fresh fish, they refused to eat the fish and it was dumped. This has a serious impact for us as word of mouth is THE best marketing tool we have and you can imagine what they will say to their friends regarding our fishing trips.”
“Our diving parties enjoy some of the most wonderful diving sites in the UK with pristine, clear water where they can dive and see some of the very rare horse mussel beds, pearl mussel beds and many many giant prawn burrows that are present in the East Loch (Tarbert). The variety of epifauna includes Cerianthus, Caryophyllia, Turritella, Echinus with crabs and squat lobster very plentiful in the area. The presence of Swiftia Pallida is also present at the latest proposed development (Reibinish) and is in danger of being wiped out if the massive expansion is not halted.
“Our concerns regarding the mussels is very real as local mussel spat growers found for the first year ever that no spat grew on their ropes. This occurred in Loch Seaforth and also in Loch Roag, and it is a major concern to us as a tourism operator that we are about to loose certain underwater species through the use of the chemicals.”
The full figures for H2O2 usage across Scotland can be found on the OHAFF website at: https://fishfarmsout.wordpress.com
The figures obtained by OHAFF come from two sources:
- SEPA collects the data for use in ‘bath’ treatment where fish farmers use a tarpaulin round and underneath the fish farm cage and then treat the fish in the tarpaulin pen, before discharging the chemical and seawater used back into the sea and…
- Marine Scotland collects the data for ‘well boat’ treatments where the farmed fish are pumped from the nets in to the ‘well’ of a special boat, where the fish swim round in the H2O2 before being pumped back into the pen and the chemical and seawater used discharged into the sea.
That is rank.
balance in fish farming being lost to multi nationals who want vast volumes…the environment must suffer with the use of these chemicals…..the job ratio does not increase with the volumes produced as automated feeders take over….sad state of affairs.
Yet another fact that proves this filthy industry must be properly policed by an organisation with no vested interest in the outcomes of any findings.
High time the local shops and supermarkets stopped selling this chemical-laden crap. We have a good reputation for some of our locally-produced foods (black pudding, lamb, etc) but farmed salmon is at the opposite end of the spectrum.
As long as people keep buying the product though, the degradation of the environment will go on, ruining the livelihoods of those who work the sea and seabeds responsibly.
Fish farms are out of control. Their chemicals, including Hydrogen Peroxide and who knows what else, are polluting our waters. Time it was stopped.
If your system has too resort to large scale fire brigade tactics in order to exist,then it is not a system,just an ill thought out self defeating in the long term scheme to make money.The defining point of sustainability comes if the system currently employed had to underwrite damage to the seas and creatures it damages.By this definition,l suspect it would be hard pressed to continue.Of course the answer is not too shuffle off stage right ignoring the obvious,but too produce a new system that addresses these issues,and government needs to lean a little heavier,and provide more encouragement for this to take place,because if they are not prepared to bring order,its a certainty no change will come about
I expect most folk on these islands know quite a bit about the complicated life cycle of a salmon. Compare this with the creatures that are kept in pens and fed chemicals and then presented in fancy packets on shop shelves. Apparently and according to the marketing blurb, you will read that ‘our salmon are reared in the pristine waters of the North of Scotland’ etc. Yes, I guess the water once was ‘pristine’ but not anymore. Farmed salmon are no better than battery chickens and possibly much worse. A bog standard chicken is sold as it is not dressed up as if it has been ‘hand reared’ by some gillie on a sporting estate. Don’t buy it.
if this ‘industry’ is to continue…and the scottish government are pushing volume exports to the far east…(profits for the norwegian and swiss shareholders)….the only sustainable way is closed containment in tanks…or deep water technology…while they can get into any and every bay here, displacing fishermen and using chemicals to get their end result…why should they bother?……
I have been searching for evidence to back up the claim that hydrogen peroxide is harmful to marine life in the concentrations used by salmon farmers. So could someone please point me in the direction of a peer reviewed scientific paper that backs up the claim that the use of hydrogen peroxide in salmon farming is harmful to the environment.
Seeker, try drinking it.
As far as I know hydrogen peroxide just makes oxygen bubbles it’s present in lots off every day products. Eg toothpaste . People seem to forget the fishfarm industry sustains a lot off jobs in this island
not forgetting that at all ali…..down in the bays fishermen being displaced from grounds they’ve fished for generations…large systems being squeezed into small bays that communities don’t want….seals being shot…automated systems will lead to less not more employment…add the chemicals…and you’ve not got a great recipe…..lets have some balance, not just development without thinking on the linger term and dire consequences.
I do not believe that there is any evidence to back up the claims (scaremongering) being made about hydrogen peroxide. There is no doubt that most of the chemicals used in fish farming can harm the environment, but hydrogen peroxide is not one of them. I would suggest that those against fish farms stick to facts (rather than the fantasy in the above article) if they want public to support their campaign.
If I am wrong and some evidence of the harm hydrogen peroxide is alleged to be causing is produced for all to see then I will quite happily admit to being wrong.
Seeker, in your search for evidence did you ask any people who work in the industry or Marine Scotland? I did and here are the results; H202 destroys all plankton which happen to be contained in cages if it’s a tarp treatment, or in well boat if that’s the method used. Now, if that’s a mis truth it means I’ve been deliberately mislead for some reason. Marine Scotland have no scientific paper to offer, no research has been done on the possible effects. Don’t you think that’s a good reason NOT to use it? Apart from that, there is a conflict in your two posts. On one hand you are seeking info, but in your last post you seem to have come to a decision. What info did you get then???
Correct Mad, it disperses, so does a tanker load of crude oil over time. But surely it’s the damage substances do before they break down that may be of concern. If it was a “one off” treatment due to last Summer’s warm dry weather, as we were all told, then that’s one thing. But continual and increased use is another matter methinks. In any case, if it destroys all plankton, also the fish themselves in certain cases, then it’s not harmless, point.
Got to go with MadEddieH and Seeker on this one – something is indeed fishy – H2O2 is the chemical nomenclature for Hydrogen Peroxide, indicating it is 2 x Hydrogen and 2 x Oxygen. In water, it just creates a more highly oxygenated area at the point of dispersion. I would have to say that the comment made by Seeker above is closer to the truth, that there is no doubt that some of the chemicals used by Fish Farms are indeed hazardous to the environment, however H2O2 is not one of them. It is however, a commonly used item in household cleaning and wound disinfection, therefore is recognisable by a huge number of people, it is for that reason that it has been touted as the next great destroyer of our fragile habitats and the weapon of mass deception by those who would target the hearts of people to join the anti fish farming lobby. I am just glad that there are those who use their minds and can see through the emotive and nonsensical theories put forward. This is just another smoke screen to distract from the real issues.
Please do tell us what the real issues are Incomer.
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