An animal charity has urged the Scottish Government to take action to stop the country being “flooded” with farmed salmon from Norway.
The group claims Scots are being fobbed off with Norwegian fish in order to protect supplies of salmon to China by companies based in Norway.
But the trade body for Scottish salmon farmers said last night it was misleading to suggest Scottish consumers were being denied home-grown produce.
Animal Concern Advice Line (ACAL) said it had written to Enterprise Minister Fergus Ewing, asking him to intervene in a situation created by “the murky waters of international politics”. ACAL claims Norway-based fish farming giants are getting round a ban on exports to China by supplying the market with produce from their Scottish operations, and selling Norwegian salmon to Scots.
As an example, it highlights packs of Macrae “Scottish Quality” smoked salmon – from Norway – sold in this country’s supermarkets.
Macrae’s packaging clearly says the fish is farmed in Norway but the product is smoked in Scotland, allowing it to be branded as Scottish.
ACAL said much of the farmed salmon sold in Scottish supermarkets had only codes for the country of origin, making it difficult to tell where it was from.
John Robins, the group’s secretary, said: “Scottish consumers are being taken for mugs. They are being sold tartan-tinted Norwegian salmon, while Scottish salmon is being sold in China. It’s political and economic madness.”
But Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation chief executive Scott Landsburgh accused ACAL of naivety in international trade matters.
Mr Landsburgh said “Over 60% of our production goes to the domestic market. We are proud of our PGI (protected geographical indication) assuring consumers about the origin of produce, for Scottish farmed salmon.
“What smokers and processors do with their labelling is beyond our control.”
A spokeswoman for Macrae parent Young’s Seafood said the example highlighted by ACAL was produced at one of three Scottish smokehouses.
“Our product labelling adheres to the guidance published by the Scottish Food Standards Agency (SFSA),” she added.
In its Consumer Guide to Country of Origin Information on Food Labels, the SFSA says: “When fish is smoked it undergoes a substantial change, which affects how it is labelled for country of origin.
“Scottish smoked salmon’ and smoked Scottish salmon’ are not the same thing.
“The former could be salmon smoked in Scotland but made from, for example, Norwegian salmon. The process of smoking means it can be described as Scottish.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Clear labelling is something we regard as highly important for consumers.
“Misleading packaging is unacceptable and Scottish ministers are on record as pressing for greater clarity and transparency to be an integral part of the EU labelling regime.”