The Scottish government appears ready to approve a banned insecticide blamed for destroying bee populations for use in Scottish salmon farms, according to internal documents seen by the Guardian, as MEPs warn of its potentially “devastating” impact on aquatic life. An investigative news site, The Ferret, first revealed in March 2020 that the Scottish fish farming industry was planning to use imidacloprid to kill the sea lice that can infest caged salmon. Benchmark described CleanTreat as a “breakthrough” development for the salmon farming industry. Neonicotinoid insecticides have been banned by the EU for use on crops because of their devastating effect on bees. But with its use on dogs [as a pet flea treatment] and now in fish farms, it’s like the wild west.

Source: The Guardian May 27, 2021 07:22 UTC