from Sunday Herald, 15 December 2002
A toxic, cancer-causing chemical has been found in salmon from Scottish fish farms since it was banned by the government in June. The discovery could prompt legal action - and even a trade boycott - by the European Commission.
The Scottish Executive outlawed malachite green, widely used by fish farmers to treat fungus in salmon, on June 11. But the Sunday Herald can reveal that since then government scientists have detected signs of the chemical in four samples of Scottish salmon.
The EC has already threatened infringement proceedings and "protective measures" against the British government over the use of the chemical. If the contamination continues, legal action by Brussels will become inevitable.
Environmentalists say that Scottish fish farmers are defying the ban, and are calling for a boycott of farmed salmon. But those working in the industry claim the chemical was applied to the salmon before the ban came into force.
Malachite green is a synthetic fabric dye that happens to be effective at killing the fungi and parasites that plague farmed salmon and trout. It is suspected of causing genetic mutations that can lead to malignant tumours in humans, and was banned on US fish farms in 1991.
However, until June this year it was still used at hundreds of fish farms in Scotland because it was up to 20 times cheaper than the alternatives. In 2001, one in every five farmed salmon and trout contained traces of the chemical.
In April this year the EC's health and consumer protection directorate sent a team of veterinary inspectors to Scottish fish farms. They were alarmed to find that although malachite green has no marketing authorisation in the UK, saying "it is commonly used in salmon and trout production, with the full knowledge of the competent authorities".
In a report published in October, the inspectors recommended that the EC should take legal action against the UK. They also urged commissioners "to consider in the light of the response of the competent authorities to this inspection report whether protective measures regarding the marketing of aquaculture salmon and trout originating in the UK are necessary."
The EC inspection prompted the government to introduce the UK-wide ban on malachite green in June. But since then scientists from the government's veterinary medicines directorate have closely monitored farmed fish to check whether the ban is working.
According to the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) in London, four out of 119 samples of UK farmed fish were found to contain the breakdown product leucomalachite green. A further two out of 69 samples of farmed salmon, mostly imported from Norway, were similarly contaminated.
The chemical is long-lasting so might have dated from before the ban, but investigations are continuing, said a Defra spokesman. "If we find evidence of malachite green being used since June, we will prosecute," he added.
But environmentalists from Friends of the Earth Scotland suspect that the chemical is still being used. "Some Scottish fish farmers appear hell-bent on cutting corners to ensure bigger profits in the run-up to Christmas," said the group's new head of research, Dr Dan Barlow.
"The continued discovery of this illegal chemical undermines those in the industry who claim that they are capable of putting their own house in order. The full weight of the law should be brought down on fish farmers caught using this chemical."
Scottish Quality Salmon (SQS), which represents the producers of 65% of farmed salmon, insisted its members were abiding by the ban. The malachite green found in the samples must have been used before the ban came into force, said an SQS spokesman.
He said: "Scottish Quality Salmon is aware that 95% of UK farmed salmon and trout which has been tested since the ban of the use of malachite green has been produced in accordance with best-practice principles. Those samples showing traces had been taken prior to the ban being confirmed."
But this explanation has not satisfied anti-fish farm campaigners such as Don Staniford, who were yesterday on the streets of Edinburgh urging shoppers not to buy farmed salmon. "The shocking detection of yet more cancer-causing chemicals is another reason to boycott farmed salmon this Christmas," he said.
"It appears only a matter of time before the European Commission imposes a ban on Scottish farmed salmon. Until the UK cleans up its act the safest thing to do is to steer clear of farmed salmon and opt for wild Alaskan salmon as a special seasonal treat."
