Animal Rights Activists Call for Halt on Salmon Farm!

Animal rights campaigners are raising concerns over the construction of the UK’s first fully on-land salmon farm, urging Michael Gove to intervene and stop the project. The controversy stems from the claim that the planning permission granted by the North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) was flawed, as it failed to conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA).

The advocacy group Animal Equality contends that an EIA should have been a prerequisite for the approval of the Cleethorpes-based salmon farm, which aims to become the largest in the UK, producing 5,000 tonnes of fish annually. Government guidelines suggest that an EIA is necessary for projects designed to produce more than 100 tonnes of fish per year. However, the Aquacultured Seafood Ltd development was deemed by the council as “unlikely to have significant effects on the environment.”

In a legal letter sent to Michael Gove and NELC, the law firm Advocates for Animals, representing Animal Equality, expressed concerns about the potential environmental impact of the project. The letter emphasized the unique nature, scale, and location of the farm, suggesting that any malfunction or unforeseen circumstances could have significant and complex consequences. The pumping of water from the Humber estuary, a designated “wetland of international importance,” and the use of a treatment company with no published data on its success are cited as potential risks.

Animal Equality’s executive director, Abigail Penny accused the planning authority of placing too much reliance on assurances from the developer. The charity has given the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities 21 days to respond, emphasizing the need for an in-depth assessment and clarity given the unknown impacts of such a new enterprise.

Despite the controversy and calls for intervention, the North East Lincolnshire Council declined to comment, and attempts to reach Aquacultured Seafood for comment were unsuccessful. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities confirmed receiving the letter and stated that it would respond in “due course”.

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