Anything – if it lets the argument stand …

Comment posted Salmon and Trout Association uses FoI to reveal serious sea bed pollution, corporate negligence and a disengaged SEPA by newsroom.

Anything – if it lets the argument stand clear of distraction. We have substituted the barbel with a photograph of salmon lice.
Apologies for getting the fish wrong.
We’re just hoping that this is not one of those jinxed stories where even the salmon lice in the replacement photo will prove to be lice that affect a rare species found only at the bottom of the Challenger Deep.
Fingers crossed.

newsroom also commented

• We don’t know the start date, Hamish – but the reported results are from its first harvesting.

  Do we know – do we measure – what the sea lice quota is in the first harvesting of a new UK fish farm?

  Three sea lice in an entire harvest has to command respect until UK system data for a first harvest can be shown equal or better.

• Yes we did – but they may be more recent than that.

  While we had published earlier articles on this subject, we published not so long ago a series of highly informative research articles by Ewan Kennedy and we think you may have these in mind.

  The Search engine on this site is pretty good. If you type in ‘Ewan Kennedy’ it should find these articles for you in the list of returns.

• We saw the comment and did not consciously remove it. But yes – it is not here. Mr MacArthur pointed out that the fish in the photograph is a barbel and not a salmon. Not being anglers, we are in no position to argue and are happy to accept that. The photograph is described by Wikipedia as sea lice on a farmed salmon – and we accepted that.

  We chose the image, It was not part of the Salmon and Trout Association’s Report.

  But let’s not lose sight of the reality here. Sea lice on a farmed salmon are unlikely to look more palatable than sea lice on a barbel. The point of the report is the failure in compliance of farmed salmon producers to report on the toxic sea bed residues of the chemicals they use to try to contain the prevalence of sea lice – and the failure of SEPA to monitor such activities as they are supposed to do.

  Quibbling about the precise fish to which the sea lice are attached in the photograph is a decoy to deflect attention from the potency of the evidence gathered here by the Association under FoI.

Recent comments by newsroom

• Colonsay votes 60%-40% in favour of proposed Marine Harvest salmon farm
  Freedom Foods is less and different than it seems.
  This article is required reading for any understanding of this tricky situation:
  http://forargyll.com/2013/01/rspca-compromised-by-freedom-food-certification-for-farmed-salmon/
• Institute of Fiscal Studies economist looks at fiscal context of independent Scotland
  We would be be very happy to answer this question if we could.
  But, as things stand, there is no substantive information and economic detail on exactly what economic strategy and its associated policies would be pursued for an independent Scotland.
  The First Minister’s ‘Scotland’s Economy’ paper, recently launched, was profoundly disappointing in this respect and, in its lack of economic substance, replaced by ad-man puffery, was damaging to the campaign’s credibility.
  We can assure you and anyone, that when such information becomes available – and we are sure it will because it must – we will not be prejudging it but will respond to it with open mind and goodwill and the necessary intelligent scrutiny.
  We have WANTED and still want to see a coherent, joined up, strong, imaginative, challenging and achievable strategy and policies put forward for a specific future for Scotland – honestly described in unchallengeably accurate costs and benefits and carving out an identity for Scotland that is realistic and unique.
  The extent to which all we are being offered is essentially the status quo with a new badge and a few costly goody bags to entice ‘Yes’ votes could not undermine the ‘independence’ prospectus more thoroughly.
  No one can possibly believe that a change of this magnitude can be made without cost to all concerned.
  It is necessary is to know the realistic costs, perceive the realistic benefits and decide if the price is worth paying.
  We do not believe that the price need be too high or the benefits inconsequential – but as this campaign is being run, the price IS too high and the benefits insubstantial because, in any competent sense, the necessary thinking has not gone on.
  What is being proposed is unrealistic, often unspecific and unproductively expensive into the future – and the easy answers are clearly both misleading and dishonest.
  This won’t do and it won’t do it.
• White smoke rises from Councillor Duncan MacIntyre’s chimney as two-man College of Cardinals settle a deal
  Short and sweet for short and sweet: don’t be simplistic.
  No one could defend Councillor Robb’s sudden swerve last Thursday, leaving his loyal colleagues like flotsam and jetsam.
  But that does not mean that he did not deserve the support he was given by his colleagues when he was given it.
  Life is not a simple business.
• Russell to make parliamentary statement on rural schools today
  In the circumstances of the destructions of the SNP councillors group in the last 12 months, you can hardly expect credibility elevating the importance of ‘collective’ action?
  Being ‘collective’ when it suits one to harvest support from others it not what collectivity or collegiality is about.
  And many in Argyll now know more than enough about your party, its councillors, its members, its structures and its wonderfully elastic ‘rules’.
• Russell to make parliamentary statement on rural schools today
  This was a RESPONSE to a party political slanting of the issue – scoring points in an internal SNP turf war which should never have happened, was consciously manipulated, and has divided a party I voted for and was a member of until relatively recently – when I stopped my subscription in a mixture of anger, despair – and contempt – at what was and is – being done to hopes for better governance in Argyll and Bute.
  You might also reflect upon the contradictions inherent in approving of For Argyll for being straight speaking when it suits one agenda and condemning it when what it says – equally objectively, is less comfortable.

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