Soil Association drops organic salmon
Salmon farming faces mounting scrutiny after The Guardian reported that the Soil Association has removed its organic certification from the farmed salmon sector after a two-year review.
The accreditation body announced the decision on Wednesday, stating that environmental and welfare outcomes failed to meet its high standards. The review revealed high mortality rates and animal suffering on certified farms that did not improve significantly upon conventional operations, with an unprecedented 17.4 million fish dying before harvest in 2023.
“When we started working on salmon 20 years ago, we had an aspiration for an aquaculture system that could deliver the principles of organic production in the sea,” said Helen Browning, CEO of the Soil Association, to The Guardian.
The withdrawal disrupts a Scottish salmon industry worth £1 billion annually and employing 2,500 people. While the Soil Association drops its specialized organic standards for the sector, British government regulations will continue to assess farms under baseline organic rules, according to trade body Salmon Scotland.
Salmon producers defend standards amid welfare concerns
Trade representatives maintain that Scottish producers operate under strict oversight. “Scotland's salmon farmers operate to some of the highest standards in the world, within a highly regulated sector subject to more than 1,600 audits and inspections each year,” a spokesperson for Salmon Scotland said.
Cooke Scotland confirmed that organic production remains an integral part of its business despite the accreditation change.
Nick Measham, CEO of WildFish, told The Guardian that the decision marks a start in exposing the environmental and welfare disaster of modern salmon farming.
Chicken byproducts replace fishmeal as foreign ownership impacts economy
Lerøy Seafood Group confirmed the introduction of chicken byproducts at offshore salmon farms as a lower-cost alternative to wild-caught fishmeal.
Writing for The Herald, Neil Mackay said that the controversy exposes wider economic vulnerabilities across Scotland, where critical food and drink assets often operate under foreign corporate ownership.
Questions about salmon organic certification and feeding methods
Why did the Soil Association end its organic salmon certification?
The Soil Association concluded a two-year review showing that fish welfare, high mortality rates, and environmental conditions failed to meet its organic standards.
Can Scottish salmon still be sold as organic?
Yes. Although the Soil Association removed its bespoke higher standards, the UK government confirmed that farms can continue to be assessed under baseline organic regulations.
How do salmon farmers feed the fish now?
Some major producers, including Lerøy Seafood Group, have started using ground-up poultry byproducts to reduce reliance on wild-caught marine feed.