The complaint alleges ongoing illegal burial, environmental crimes, and false statements to regulators.
Environmental group Green Britain Foundation has filed a criminal complaint with Police Scotland, accusing Uist-based Whiteshore Cockles Ltd of multiple environmental offences, including the illegal burial of dead salmon, according to The National.
The complaint follows the release of footage purportedly showing the company burying diseased fish four months after the practice became illegal in Scotland.
The burial of dead fish had been permitted under a temporary exemption from the Scottish Government while Whiteshore Cockles was constructing a fish waste dryer. This exemption ended on January 31, 2024. The dryer is designed to process dead fish into fish oil and fishmeal, offering a sustainable alternative to burial.
Green Britain Foundation founder Dale Vince described the footage as “shocking,” accusing the fish farming industry of “treating the land and sea like a dumping ground.”
Vince further criticised regulatory bodies, including the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI), for failing to act.
The complaint alleges ongoing illegal burial, environmental crimes, and false statements to regulators. Whiteshore Cockles, however, has denied the allegations, stating that such practices are no longer occurring. When questioned, company representative Angus Macdonald declined to comment on the footage.
Police Scotland and Whiteshore Cockles have yet to respond to the complaint.
