Anger over Scottish salmon farm inspections amid 35m unexpected fish deaths

The Guardian - World NewsEN 3 min read 100% complete by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondentFebruary 5, 2026 at 02:43 PM

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Scottish salmon farms have recorded over 35 million unexpected fish deaths between January 2023 and October 2025, prompting concerns about regulatory oversight. Animal welfare campaigners are criticizing the Scottish government's claim of a robust regulatory regime, citing figures obtained by Animal Equality UK. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) inspected only 21 of 213 active farms during this period, with just two unannounced inspections, despite this being a statutory requirement. The APHA has received 22 complaints of fish welfare abuses since 2022 but has not issued any formal warnings or referrals. Animal Equality UK argues that the low level of scrutiny prioritizes industry reputation over animal welfare.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Loch Duart 30% Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service 40% Mairi Gougeon 60% Abigail Penny 60% Scotland ×270% Animal Equality UK ×375% Scottish Government ×280% Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) ×485%

Keywords

salmon farming 100% fish deaths 90% animal welfare 80% inspections 80% regulatory regime 70% apha 60% animal equality uk 60% scotland 50% cleaner-fish 50% fish welfare abuses 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.70

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Scotland

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis.

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salmon farming fish deaths animal welfare inspections regulatory regime apha animal equality uk scotland cleaner-fish fish welfare abuses

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