CalMac ferry passengers exposed to salmon waste health hazards.
CalMac Ferries has admitted that passengers were exposed to potential health risks from leaking salmon farm effluent on its vessels, according to newly released information under a freedom of information request.
In 2020, concerns were raised by ferry staff about bloody effluent leaking from lorries transporting unprocessed salmon, with passengers and crew reportedly wading through the waste on car decks without protective equipment. Tests on the effluent revealed the presence of pathogens including E.coli, listeria, and enterococci, which posed risks of gastroenteritis and other illnesses.
Correspondence shows that CalMac officials had flagged these risks over several years. The trade union RMT had also warned that the operator could be held accountable if illness occurred. An internal report in 2022 detailed concerns that waste could be transferred to carpeted passenger areas via shoes, exacerbating the risk of contamination.
Following public and internal pressure, CalMac first limited such cargo to night ferries before ultimately banning the transport of unprocessed salmon entirely. Salmon is now only carried on CalMac vessels after processing, eliminating the risk of effluent leakage.
The revelations highlight years of concern over hygiene and safety standards aboard the ferries, with anti-salmon farming campaigner Don Staniford playing a key role in securing the release of these documents.
