Scottish salmon industry in 2008 product scares but no compensation claims

Fishing, for many years in Scotland more typically a source of worker compensation claims than product liability scares, is increasingly coming under the spotlight for health reasons. Most prominent in this has been the salmon industry, with concerns not only about contaminations potentially affecting consumers, but also the fish and the very viability of the industry itself.

Although there is little risk to the consumer public, thanks to bans on the sale of rod-caught salmon from rivers, food safety experts have warned that thousands of Scottish wild salmon from 59 rivers, including the Tay, the Spey and the River Dee are infected with a parasite that has the potential to be fatal to humans. The findings formed part of a study carried out by a team of scientists from the Fisheries Research Centre.

Fortunately, most experts agree that there should be no risk to humans provided that fish is either frozen before consumption or cooked at 70C for at least two minutes before it is eaten.

Yet this has not been the only salmon-related scare; the journal Science has claimed that Scottish farmed salmon is among the most contaminated in the world, and is so awash with pollutants and chemicals that it should be eaten infrequently and in small amounts.

The Food Standards Agency have advised the public that there is no imminent danger and that there is no need to curb salmon consumption as levels of dioxins and PCBs are still within levels considered to be safe by the World Health Organisation and European Commission. This is advice that seems to exclude the possibility of any personal injury compensation claims being made while the situation remains as it is.

There were even more problems in February, when nearly 50 Scottish salmon products had to be recalled from the shelves of UK supermarkets following concerns about contamination with the chemical white spirit. While the Food Standards Authority issued a statement saying that there was "no acute risk to health", they did warn that the salmon would likely have a "very unpleasant taste".

Unfortunately for the industry, consumers are a group famous for their sensitivity to any kind of perceived risk, however small. In the light of the scares and bad news stories, they are overwhelmingly voting with their wallets, with sales of Scottish salmon down by £10 million during a month-long period in 2008. The chief executive of Scottish Quality Salmon confirmed the figure, saying, "Some retailers have quoted a 25% downturn and for others it has been even higher. Over the past four weeks there has been a 20% loss in sales worth about £10 million."

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