Producers of Scottish salmon can drop the word “farmed” from the front of their packaging after government lawyers argued it was unnecessary and pejorative.
The government amended the protected geographical indication (PGI) of “Scottish farmed salmon” to “Scottish salmon” last year, after lobbying from the industry.
PGI labels are used to communicate to consumers the authenticity of products known for the region in which they are made, such as Cornish pasties, Melton Mowbray pork pies and Stornoway black pudding.
The campaign groups Animal Equality UK and Wildfish filed an appeal over the change, warning that consumers were being misled about the “true origin” of the product.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) responded that the term “Scottish salmon” identified “the true geographic origin of the product, Scotland, and consumers would not be misled in this regard”.
The government’s lawyers added at a tribunal hearing that there was “no need for the PGI to include unnecessary pejorative words” and that there was “no evidence before this tribunal or secretary of state of a product which includes pejorative language”.
The trade group Salmon Scotland justified the change on the basis that consumers already knew that Atlantic salmon sold in the UK was farmed, not wild.
Dismissing the campaigners’ appeal, Judge O’Connor said the new label did not risk confusing consumers as to the breed of fish or where it was produced.
The geographical designation for Scottish salmon covers the coastal region of mainland Scotland, the Western Isles, Orkney, and Shetland.
The fact that the salmon is “farm raised” will still have to be displayed on the back of packaging because of wider labelling rules.
The Scottish farmed salmon sector produces approximately 200,000 tonnes of Atlantic salmon a year, with a farm-gate value of more than £1bn.
It is the UK’s number one food export, sold to more than 50 countries, with a value of about £600m a year.
Environmental activists claim disease is rife among the farmed fish and it is harmful to wild salmon if the two types breed as a result of an escape.
There have been record levels of mortalities at Scottish salmon farms in recent years. In 2023, an unprecedented 17.4m salmon died on farms before harvesting, exceeding 2022’s 17.2m.
The industry has blamed excessive deaths on factors outside its control, including unusually large numbers of micro-jellyfish, while campaigners cite overcrowding.
after newsletter promotion
Abigail Penny, the executive director of Animal Equality UK, said: “There is loud and growing discontent with the Scottish farmed salmon industry. Consumer trust has been severely dented by continued evidence of welfare abuses, lice and disease outbreaks, and government data revealing that millions of fish died on farms last year.
“With the evidence piled up high, and the industry’s reputation in tatters, it’s unsurprising that salmon execs proposed that the word ‘farmed’ be removed from the PGI. Consumers deserve more information, not less. In a world of growing misinformation and confusion, we need even greater transparency than ever before.
“We are disappointed that this decision has not been overturned; it is a clear indication that our work must continue to show the realities of this industry to consumers across the UK and around the world.”
Tavish Scott, the chief executive of Salmon Scotland, said: “Scottish salmon is the UK’s top food export, enjoyed in more than 50 countries worldwide, so we are pleased judges have dismissed spurious legal attempts to overturn the government’s decision to update the protected geographic indication to ‘Scottish salmon’.
“Anti-salmon farming campaign groups WildFish and Animal Equality are shameless in their misguided campaign to ban salmon farming. They knew their appeal had no basis in law but dragged the UK government though the courts at taxpayers’ expense anyway.
“This verdict confirms in no uncertain terms that Atlantic salmon farm-raised in Scotland is called Scottish salmon.”
Defra did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Article by:Source: Daniel Boffey Chief reporter
