Dale Vince & GBF file criminal complaint against Whiteshore Cockles Ltd for environmental crimes

Green Britain Foundation (GBF) has filed a formal criminal complaint with Police Scotland against Whiteshore Cockles Ltd, alleging multiple environmental offences and fraud at the company’s site on North Uist.

The complaint calls for a comprehensive investigation into alleged illegal disposal of salmon waste, pollution of land and water sources, and false statements made to regulatory authorities.

Key allegations include:

• Illegal burials of diseased and toxic salmon waste after legal permissions expired

• Potential environmental crimes, including pollution of nearby land and water

• Alleged false declarations to regulators regarding cessation of burial activities

Dale Vince: “Enough is enough.”

Dale Vince, environmentalist and founder of the Green Britain Foundation, said:

“What we've uncovered at Whiteshore Cockles is shocking - it's the fish farming industry treating the land and sea like a dumping ground. Tonnes of diseased fish, illegally buried, right next to sensitive ecosystems.

We’ve taken it to the police because the usual suspects, the regulators, have sat on their hands for years. They’ve known all about this and done nothing.

This complaint is just the start. We're going to keep digging, exposing, and holding industries accountable when they trash the environment for profit. Enough is enough. Time for real accountability and for these people to face the consequences of their actions.”

Background: Years of warnings and inaction

The criminal complaint follows a months-long GBF investigation into the operations of Whiteshore Cockles Ltd, which processes waste from Scotland’s salmon farming industry.

Despite repeated breaches and years of public concern, regulators including SEPA, the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI), APHA, and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar have failed to stop the illegal burial of fish waste.

GBF says these failures have forced them to seek police intervention.

Key findings from GBF’s investigation:

1. Derogation expiry: The special licence allowing Whiteshore Cockles to bury salmon waste expired on 31 January 2024.

2. Continued illegal activity: GBF investigators filmed ongoing burials at the site in May 2024, months after the derogation had ended. The activity was confirmed by Mowi and not denied by the company directors when approached.

3. Paper trail: Official documents suggest tonnes of salmon morts may have been buried without any legal authorisation.

4. Repeated extensions: The company has a long record of derogations and missed deadlines, repeatedly promising to implement proper disposal methods but failing to do so.

5. Public funding: Whiteshore Cockles has received over £500,000 in public money for a waste processing facility that appears non-operational.

6. Environmental risk: The burial of diseased fish poses serious contamination threats to soil, groundwater, and local ecosystems.

7. Regulatory failure: Despite evidence of ongoing violations, no enforcement action has halted the practice.

GBF calls for accountability

The Foundation argues that the burial of diseased salmon waste at Whiteshore Cockles constitutes a breach of environmental law and public trust.

It is urging Police Scotland to investigate both corporate actions and regulatory oversight failures, and to ensure criminal accountability where offences are found.

GBF has pledged to continue monitoring the site and to cooperate fully with police investigations, while pursuing further legal and public interest action against environmental offenders.

Watch the evidence

Download video footage of the illegal burials (May 2024) Please credit: Green Britain Foundation