'Largest salmon farm in UK could have catastrophic impact on wildlife'

04 February 2024 , 17:43

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Animal Equality UK has filed for a ­judicial review to try to halt plans (Image: Getty Images)

Last year, the creation of a super-sized salmon farm was given the green light. Not only will it likely be the biggest onshore farm in the UK, it could also end up being one of the largest in Europe.

The decision was passed by North East Lincolnshire Council. But tensions are now ­escalating about AquaCultured Seafood Ltd’s farm, to be built in Cleethorpes, which would produce 5,000 tons of salmon every year.

Campaigners and locals are concerned about what they say could cause “potentially catastrophic” risks to local wildlife and farmed salmon.

Responsible for rearing hundreds of thousands of fish, and ­situated on a protected conservation area and site of special scientific interest, they believe the farm’s “long-lasting impacts on animals and environment cannot be understated”.

The firm said on its website it was committed to establishing “best practice example in UK aquaculture” and the site would have no impact on conservation or protection of biodiversity in the area.

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But Animal Equality UK has filed for a ­judicial review to try to halt plans. It argues the planning committee did not carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment to consider the consequences if untreated waste water was pumped into the Humber Estuary. They also claim it didn’t consider animal welfare. It is estimated the site will produce as much effluent as 400,000 humans, a figure
four-and-a-half times the size of Grimsby’s population.

Abigail Penny, from Animal Equality UK, said: “Fish are dying en masse in farms just like this, due to flawed machinery or human error. If there was just one issue with treatment equipment, vast volumes of slurry may flow out, decimating wildlife. Are these risks the council wants to take? It’s critical decision-makers assess this with a fine-tooth comb.”

From January-November 2023, there were 5.8 million salmon deaths in freshwater farms, a spike of 43% compared to 2022 when figures were 246% higher than in 2021. “Mass mortality events” are also known to occur within onshore systems.

In 2023, 1.9million fish died at Leroy Sjotroll in Norway due to gill disease. In November, Nova Scotian producer Sustainable Blue said 100,0000 fish were killed due to a system failure.

Cleethorpes local James Edwards said: “We do not want this here. I trust Government will hear our plea and stop it ever seeing the light of day.”

Nada Farhoud