This after the government published guidance on 17 July outlining how farmed salmon should be treated at slaughter.
However, in a letter the charities shared concerns that while the guidance represents a “welcome step”, it is not backed up with any legal obligations or penalties. As a result, the campaigners warned that millions of fish remain at risk of suffering at the time of slaughter.
The letter also called on Mairi Gougeon MSP to use the publication of the official guidance for farmed salmon as an opportunity to build on the foundation laid by the new guidance and transform it into legislation.
An estimated 55 million salmon are farmed in Scotland each year, but no species-specific legal framework exists for farmed fish despite scientific consensus that fish feel pain and fear.
The signatories of the letter included Animal Concern, Animal Equality, Compassion in World Farming UK, Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation, The Humane League UK, Labour Animal Welfare Society, OneKind, RSPCA and Scottish SPCA.
The Scottish Government’s animal welfare commission has also recommended that the government adopt “specific legislative provision” for “the welfare of farmed fin fish at the time of killing, reinforcing existing good practice”.
This comes after the Animal Welfare Committee outlined on numerous occasions the need for species-specific slaughter legislation for farmed fish, including mandatory stunning requirements, CCTV in fish slaughterhouses and appropriate training for professionals involved in the slaughter process.
Commenting on the letter, Abigail Penny of Animal Equality UK said: “Our investigations have exposed fish suffocating to death, being bludgeoned, cut while conscious, and entering slaughter machinery backwards. Without meaningful Government scrutiny and legal force, extreme animal suffering like this could continue to take place behind closed doors.
“We expect to see strong, binding legislation introduced to ensure that fish have proper legal protections in their final moments of life. The Scottish Government must now finish the job it started and swiftly enact species-specific legislation.”
