The Green Britain Foundation condemns SEPA’s decision to lift Scottish Sea Farms’ suspension on toxic discharges into Loch Creran, despite hundreds of pollution breaches and a history of concealment.
The Green Britain Foundation (GBF) has condemned SEPA’s decision to lift its suspension on Scottish Sea Farms’ (SSF) licence to discharge toxic chemicals into Loch Creran, despite the company’s repeated breaches of environmental law and failure to report them.
SEPA had imposed the suspension after a sustained pollution scandal at SSF’s Barcaldine hatchery. Between May and November 2024:
SSF breached daily legal limits on 213 days (117 formaldehyde, 96 bronopol)
Some discharges were up to six times authorised levels, with SEPA modelling bronopol close to ten times environmental safety thresholds
None of the breaches were reported by SSF; all were uncovered by SEPA inspectors
SEPA described the breaches as “prolonged,” “wilful” and “significant.”
Despite this, SEPA’s notice of 29 September 2025 states that, after receiving further information and assurances from SSF, it “no longer considers that the suspension notice is necessary.”
Dale Vince, founder of the Green Britain Foundation, said:
“SEPA has given Scottish Sea Farms the green light to start dumping its toxic waste back into Loch Creran; one of Scotland’s natural wonders. This is madness.
Prolonged, Wilful and Significant is how these breaches have been described by the agency tasked with protecting the environment. Hundreds of days of dumping toxic chemicals at up to ten times the legal limit. How does that get waived away?
Scottish Sea Farms are a deceptively named foreign-owned company, trashing Scotland’s natural environment for profit. Allowing them to resume their pollution isn’t regulation; it’s wishful thinking. Instead of lifting the suspension, SEPA should have been extending it.
Trust is earned. So is mistrust, and that is justified here. Loch Creran deserves protection.”
This is not the first time Scottish Sea Farms has been caught breaking environmental rules. In 2020, the company received final warning letters for submitting false chemical use information at 25 salmon farms, including Loch Creran.
These failures only came to light through a SEPA audit, not voluntary disclosure.
The 2024 incidents followed the same pattern: breaches concealed until discovered by regulators, then downplayed in public statements. GBF describes this as a culture of cover-up that makes the company’s assurances about future compliance meaningless.
SEPA notice justifying lifting of suspension (29 September 2025)
Green Britain Foundation Hearing Statement (18 September 2025)
Loch Creran is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), protecting rare marine habitats including serpulid reefs, horse mussel beds, and flame shell colonies — all highly vulnerable to chemical contamination.
Allowing renewed toxic discharges threatens these fragile ecosystems and undermines Scotland’s wider commitments to marine protection and biodiversity recovery.
Guy Ritchie’s Wiltshire estate is under investigation after the Green Britain Foundation submitted evidence of alleged bird flu biosecurity breaches at the Ashcombe shooting estate.
Read MoreMeet the team behind Bowyer’s Wood – exploring rewilding, woodland conservation and the people working with the Green Britain Foundation to make space for nature.
Read MoreThe GBF's Bowyer’s Wood project is welcoming beavers back to East Sussex, helping restore wetlands, support wildlife and demonstrate nature-led land recovery.
Read MoreLaunched in June 2025, Fish Net Zero is the Green Britain Foundation’s new marine conservation programme, recovering abandoned fishing gear, freeing entangled wildlife and protecting marine ecosystems around the UK.
Read More
