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Ailsa McLellan

@ailsamcl.bsky.social
168 followers 111 following 111 posts

Grow native #Oysters for habitat restoration. Campaign for protection of Scotland's seabed. Happy outside. #TREEHUGGER

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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Wow. The APHA were not making the extent of suffering and death on #Salmon farms public encase it damages the industries reputation?! Their job is not to protect the salmon industry! It is to safeguard animals! #OffTheTable www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Millions of salmon deaths at Scottish farms disclosed after watchdog’s ruling
Animal and Plant Health Agency forced to release reports showing scale and cause of deaths on some fish farms
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
@mairigougeoun.bsky.social assertions are not borne out by the facts. 1/4 of the #salmon that went to sea died before harvest last year, that is over 10.9 million fish. The suffering and waste is off the scale. #FarmedSalmon #ScottishSalmon #TasteOfScotlan UN #SustainableSeafood #ShameofScotland
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Please use this link to email your MSP ahead of the salmon debate at Holyrood tomorrow, asking them to prioritise our wild species over foreign owned #Salmon factory farms. We need a moratorium until pollution, welfare, and lice issues are dealt with. #OffTheTable act.wildfish.org/page/185853/...
act.wildfish.org
Let's make wild salmon recovery a political priority
Wild salmon are at risk. Join me and ask your MSP to back their recovery.
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
'Oysters dont like soft sediment.' they say, 'They are very fussy about what they settle on....' 🤔
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
“The #salmon industry has been talking about risk + resilience for years, but if your entire business model is based on a disappearing input, thats not resilience, thats denial.'' @mairigougeon.bsky.social @gillianmartin.bsky.social www.forbes.com/sites/felici...
forbes.com
Feeding The Future Or Eating The Ocean? The $80 Billion Salmon Crisis
The salmon industry's dependence on wild fish for feed exposes deep supply chain risks—threatening ecosystems, food security and investor return.
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
''Sea-based salmon farming is highly destructive. With staggering mortality rates and significant environmental cost, farmed salmon falls far short of the fresh fillet of omega 3 we believe we’re feeding our families. So, what’s the answer?'' #OffTheTable livefrankly.co.uk/sustainable-...
livefrankly.co.uk
Farmed salmon: deeper issues of farmed fish industry revealed
Why farmed salmon is unlikely to be the fresh and ‘sustainably produced’ fillet of omega 3 we once believed it to be...
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
Thank you to Sunna Van Kampen in @thetimes.com for highlighting this. We should all be questioning a food system that uses more, better, protein than it produces, impoverishing coastal communities that rely on the fish pelletised to feed sad factory farmed #salmon in the global north.
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
When you consider that every farmed salmon is fed hundreds of fish before it too is eaten by humans, it’s painfully clear that #Scottishsalmon farming is far from luxurious + nowhere near sustainable.” www.express.co.uk/news/uk/2148583/shocking-truth-behind-15-billion-uk-salmon-industry
express.co.uk
The shocking truth behind the £1.5 billion UK salmon industry
EXCLUSIVE: Following damning reports of cruelty and disease in the Scottish salmon farming industry, health experts say the ‘superfood' isn't even as good for you as you might think
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
It is disappointing to see how many celebrity chefs blindly promote factory farmed #ScottishSalmon at this time of year. This is an extractive polluting industry that does more harm than good. Read this if you are interested in the facts. #Offthetable www.desmog.com/2025/12/16/
desmog.com
‘They Don’t Give A Damn’: Scotland’s Highland Communities Tire of Charm Offensive by ‘Polluting’ Salmon Giant Mowi
The world’s largest salmon producer stands accused of a charm offensive in the Scottish Highlands that distracts from its “noisy” and “polluting” fish farms. Seafood giant Mowi produces more than a fi...
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
AI gets it right. 'The Scottish Government, led by @snp.org, has experienced significant and repeated delays in implementing fisheries management measures for its network of MPAs and for protecting Priority Marine Features (PMFs) outside those areas.' www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLxm...
youtube.com
OCEAN with David Attenborough | 'Bottom Trawling' Official Clip
YouTube video by Piece of Magic Entertainment
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Again @snp.org booted the marine protection can down the road with @gillianmartin.bsky.social blaming 'contractors' for yesterdays news that moves towards protecting our seabed will be delayed AGAIN. Please read the below blog. www.openseas.org.uk/news/a-decade-of-political-delay-for-our-seas/
openseas.org.uk
A decade of political delay for our seas
Ten years ago, 32 marine protected areas were designated in Scottish waters, following landmark legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament in August 2014.These Marine Protected Areas (MPA
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Worth listening to why one of the Mowinckel family - responsible for the biggest salmon farming company in the world 'Mowi' - is doing everything in his power to get open cage #salmon farming out of the water. thelastsalmonpodcast.com/episodes/bre...
thelastsalmonpodcast.com
The Last Salmon | Breaking with the industry: the Mowinckel stand against salmon farming
Frederik W. Mowinckel is unique amongst those who oppose salmon farms.  It was his family who were some of the original salmon farmers in Norway that gave rise to the global, toxic industry, but th...
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
A good news story, genuine success in seagrass restoration, not just a lot of press around planned success! #MarineLife www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT-R...
youtube.com
Seawilding breakthrough for seagrass restoration 2025
YouTube video by Seawilding
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
First Garfish I have found washed up on the shores of Loch Broom. #MarineLife
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Enviro Matters @enviromatters.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
Encouraging read, been going on for a while in NZ & Nordics “The high-level math that we’ve come up with is a financial break-even point of ​about 4 to 5 years, over a 10-year time span, you’re definitely coming out way ahead" @ailsamcl.bsky.social www.canarymedia.com/articles/ele...
canarymedia.com
Electric boats splash down in rural Maine's coastal waters
Battery-powered vessels are catching on in the U.S. and globally as the tech improves. In Maine's Casco Bay, early adopters are using e-boats on oyster…
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
Another example of the stranglehold the foreign owned #Salmon industry has over the @snp.org This contentious site was given the go ahead despite overwhelming objections. #regulatorcapture www.salmonbusiness.com/first-semi-c...
salmonbusiness.com
First semi-closed salmon farm in Scotland approved following appeal
Scottish ministers approve Loch Long semi-closed salmon farm after appeal. Scottish ministers have granted planning permission for Loch Long Salmon’s proposed semi-closed containment system (SCCS) far...
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
Rhetoric V Reality. 5% of the #salmon died at this WRS (a.k.a Mowi) site in June. That equates to thousands of fish suffering and dying, they are also forgetting the infernal 'hum' of the feed barge. Nothing traditional or peaceful about this 'blue revolution'. #Offthetable
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
Well done Greece, not putting profit above all else as is the case with Scotland's unethical foreign owned farmed #salmon industry.
journalismfund.eu
Greece Abandons Fish Farm Expansion on Poros After Several Investigations | Journalismfund Europe
POROS – The Greek government withdraws controversial fish farms plan on Poros island after years of community campaigning and several investigations.
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
Lovely bright butterfish in the oyster hoisters today. #marinelife
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 12/08/2025
We are very grateful to the Loch Broom and Ullapool Community Trust for part funding oyster cages with a larger mesh than the ones we had. Bigger mesh makes for easier cleaning and more water flow, which equals happy cage scrubbers, and happy oysters! #Seawilding #MarineLife
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
1/4🧵The Scottish Government are proposing a 'Good Food Nation' Plan. As usual, when it comes to the #Salmon part, it is warped in the extreme, and heavily leans towards supporting this foreign owned industry. www.gov.scot/publications...
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
If you are exposed to Roundup you should watch this. When Glyphosate is mixed with 'co formulants' to make 'Roundup it becomes much more toxic. The research is solid, it causes cancer. Councils must stop spraying it where the public are exposed. @highland.gov.uk www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbOm...
youtube.com
Glyphosate: A groundbreaking global study on the controversial weedkiller
YouTube video by PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK UK
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
A lovely palaemon shrimp in the oyster hoisters today. #marinelife
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
Beautiful wrasse in the oyster hoisters on Ullapool pontoons today. I see a male frequently here, they are very territorial so it could well be the same fellow, if it is, he clearly doesn't mind being taken on board and ogled on a regular basis.
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
Lots of lovely moon jellies in Loch Broom at the moment.
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
I want to see the material that is being shown to these kids @highland.gov.uk Is it balanced? This is a contentious industry with many known impacts, who is providing the other side of the story? fishfocus.co.uk/hundreds-of-...
fishfocus.co.uk
HUNDREDS OF INVERNESS PUPILS SAMPLE CAREERS IN SCOTTISH SALMON FARMING
Hundreds of Inverness pupils sample careers in Scottish salmon farming at a hands-on event highlighting the wide range of roles available.
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Howard L Wood OBE @howardlwood.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
More than a national scandal, it's verging on corruption by senior civil servants who have allowed Regulatory Capture by big fishing trade bodies. Time for a full independent Inquiry. Happy to provide reams of evidence. @johnswinney.bsky.social @mairigougeon.bsky.social www.itv.com/news/2025-05...
itv.com
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Howard L Wood OBE @howardlwood.bsky.social · 09/06/2025
LESS THAN 1% OF SCOTLAND'S seas are fully protected. 87% of inshore Marine Protected Areas allow Scallop Dredging & Bottom Trawling. @johnswinney.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Australian government to declare almost a third of its oceans ‘highly protected’ in the next five years
Murray Watt tells UN conference in France a review of Australia’s marine parks will ‘lay the foundation’ for increasing ocean protections
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
Yet more impacts from the fin fish aquaculture industry, making money for foreign owned multinationals whilst leaving Scotland a legacy of pollution. No one seems to be measuring the cost, in real terms to our environment. #Offthetable @mairigougeon.bsky.social theferret.scot/fish-farms-f...
theferret.scot
Named: five lochs polluted by fish farms
Five lochs in the Highlands and Islands have been damaged by pollution from fish farms, according to a study by University College London.
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
A further 3,000 native oysters released in Loch Broom, still way off our targets due to continuing spat shortages, but we have kept these oysters in the cages for longer than normal, so they are spawning size + safe from most predators. Fingers crossed for spawning! #Seawilding
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
We have had a fun couple of days in Ullapool helping local kids understand that to get cool stuff at the top of the food chain, you need to look after the hard working habitat builders at the bottom. They get it, lets hope our politicians do too🤔
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
Scottish fisheries management is a case study in failure. Politicians say we have 37% protection - this is a lie 🤥Most of our MPAs are paper parks, reality = <5% protection. @snp.org politicians continue to facilitate the destruction of our seabed. theconversation.com/david-attenb...
theconversation.com
David Attenborough’s Ocean reveals how bottom trawling is hurting sealife in horrifying detail
Industrial fishing has caused immense damage to ocean life, but given the right protection, the sea has miraculous powers of recovery.
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
A beautiful wrasse in an oyster hoister. Hopefully Scottish Gov are reviewing the wrasse fishery in light of the science on the breeding season. #Wrasse are caught to service #salmon farms who use this 'keystone species' to eat their lice before discarding them.
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
If you are eating Scottish #Salmon, it is farmed, and with salmon farming the product is not worth the impacts. #Offthetable wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk/features/wl-...
wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk
WL Sustainable Food Series: The fishy facts about salmon
Steph Wetherell takes a look at salmon – from farmed to wild, certified or not – in a bid to make better choices…
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Community of Arran Seabed Trust @arrancoast.bsky.social · 21/04/2025
𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝. "Ocean with David Attenborough" - available globally from 8th May. We're delighted to share that we had the great honour of working with the incredible production teams behind this movie and can't wait for the official release.
youtube.com
OCEAN WITH DAVID ATTENBOROUGH | OFFICIAL TRAILER | GLOBAL CINEMA EVENT FROM MAY 8 | Altitude Films
YouTube video by Altitude Films
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
🧵Open season for trapping wild wrasse starts tomorrow in Scotland (in no way avoiding the breeding season), purely to supply the #salmon farming industry. Removing wrasse damages our coastal environment because of their vital role in the food chain. Its also incredibly cruel.
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
Short film just released that shows the reality of tiny Scottish communities - in this case #Ullapool - having to try and coexist alongside massive Norwegian #salmon factory farms. They exact a huge cost on our people + environment. @mairigougeon.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=An60...
youtube.com
Stop Salmom Farming, For Good (FEATURE FILM)
YouTube video by Stop Salmon Farming For Good
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
I have never seen a situation so dismal that Tony Blair couldn't make it worse.
Phasing out fossil fuels ‘doomed to fail’, says Tony Blair as he calls for rethink of net zero policy
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
We at @seawilding.bsky.social deployed an array of 'oyster hoisters' on the #Ullapool Harbour pontoons at the weekend, they will permanently house a gang of hard-working native #oysters capable of filtering around 240 litres each per day, and hopefully spawn if the water gets warm enough this year.
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
Two young guys getting off their bums and taking positive action for change! Check out their @justgiving.bsky.social page and please donate if you can. Thank you. #JustGiving www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding...
justgiving.com
Help raise £3000 to Seawilding, Seaful, Ullapool Sea Savers – JustGiving Crowdfunding
Iʼm raising money to Seawilding, Seaful, Ullapool Sea Savers. Support this JustGiving Crowdfunding Page.
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
Watch this to understand why the foreign owned #Salmon farming industry removing wrasse from Scotland's marine environment is awful for the productivity of our marine environment, and the welfare of these incredible fish. @mairigougeon.bsky.social vimeo.com/1039630453
vimeo.com
Save Wrasse - Save Reefs
Milllions of wild wrasse are being taken from the sea to act as cleaner fish on salmon farms. The problem is that these wrasse are essential to keep reefs healthy.…
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 21/04/2025
Excellent news, this fishery is an environmental and welfare nightmare. We would not tolerate the same situation with birds. @mairigougeon.bsky.social news.stv.tv/scotland/min...
news.stv.tv
Ministers threatened with legal action over fishing of ‘vital’ species
The Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust has called on the Scottish Government to stop the fishing of wrasse in marine protected areas.
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
First barrel jellyfish of the season (for me). Summer must be coming.
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 13/04/2025
Great to hear Wild Fish puncturing Mowi's waffle around their Colonsay site. 73600 escaped #ScottishSalmon, elevated sea lice numbers, and 202000 dead fish in a week do not equate to a good example of animal/fish husbandry. #Offthetable www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0029ygl
bbc.co.uk
Farming Today - 12/04/2025 Farming Today This Week: Salmon Farming, Wildfire and Trade - BBC Sounds
Does the future of salmon farming lie in deeper water?
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 31/03/2025
Love a low spring tide.
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
Fat farmed rainbow trout caught in the River Add, Argyll where they are NOT meant to be. They compete with - and eat the juveniles of - native species, and are potential disease vectors. Nearest farmed rainbows are at a Mowi site in Loch Craignish. @theferret.scot
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 27/03/2025
These farms are foreign owned, + consistently lobby against rules meant to regulate their impacts in Scotland. They are given more public money than they pay in tax, whilst leaving us a legacy of pollution + despoilation. What is the true cost of #Scottishsalmon? theferret.scot/salmon-farms...
theferret.scot
Salmon farms file 210 appeals to 'sabotage' lice controls
Salmon farms have lodged 210 appeals against controls on lice infestations imposed by the Scottish Government’s environment watchdog.
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
This is why it is vital to discuss 'passive' restoration alongside 'active' restoration. Many species + habitats can recover if we remove the pressures that are driving biodiversity loss. @seawilding.bsky.social @scottishgreens.org @snp.org @ourseas-scot.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Kelp forest project in West Sussex having 'remarkable results'
The rewilding project off the West Sussex coast is celebrating its fourth anniversary.
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
Well knock me down with a feather. bylinetimes.com/2025/03/18/k...
bylinetimes.com
Kemi Badenoch Ditches Net Zero Target After Taking Donations From Funders of Tufton Street Climate Denial Group
The Conservative leader and her Shadow Net Zero Secretary took funding from key backers of lobby groups campaigning to curb action against climate change
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Ailsa McLellan @ailsamcl.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
'Salmon farming companies enjoy more funding from the government than they pay in tax.' @mairigougeon.bsky.social - Not better spent on small locally owned businesses than vast foreign multinationals? 'Salmon firm netted £5 million in government handouts' www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2025/03/12/s...
shetlandtimes.co.uk
Salmon firm netted £5 million in government handouts - The Shetland Times
Salmon farming companies have enjoyed more funding from the government than they pay in tax, according to a report published by sustainable food advocates Feedb
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