The trade body said people deserve to know who is behind Project Slingshot
The trade body for Scottish salmon farming has criticised a campaign group for keeping some of its funders “secret”.
Salmon Scotland said people deserve to know who is behind Project Slingshot, which is pushing for Marks & Spencer to stop selling the farmed fish.
Its advertising campaign, which highlights concerns over sea lice and chemicals, is being fronted by the broadcaster Chris Packham.
In a recent BBC interview, Naomi Hallum, CEO and co-founder of Project Slingshot, said most of its funding comes from US-based philanthropic foundations.
She said the only reason it does not openly name some of its funders "is because they prefer not to be named and we respect their privacy".
READ MORE: Chris Packham campaign takes aim at M&S over Scottish farmed salmon
Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, said: “Project Slingshot admits most of its funding comes from American foundations, yet some of those bankrolling its campaigns remain anonymous.
“You cannot claim complete transparency while keeping some of your funders secret.
“This is a campaign targeting Scotland's largest food export, supporting 11,000 jobs and contributing £1 billion annually to our economy. Those livelihoods matter, and people deserve to know who is behind these attacks.
“This is not an isolated issue. Overseas money is funding campaigns against Scottish salmon producers and other livestock sectors, yet the full picture of who is providing it and how it is spent remains unclear.
“We want Scottish ministers and charity regulators to strengthen disclosure of major overseas grants and campaigning expenditure. The UK government must also examine transparency requirements linked to charitable tax reliefs, including Gift Aid.”
He added: “This is about accountability, not stopping legitimate criticism.”
Salmon is the UK’s biggest food export. However, concerns about farming have led to some chefs and restaurants taking it off their menus.
In a statement, Ms Hallum said: "Project Slingshot has always been open that most of our funding comes from philanthropic foundations in the United States, where we are registered as a charity and our IRS returns will be publicly available, and we are also supported by over 3,200 individual donors in the UK.
“Like many charities, we respect the wishes of the small number of funders who prefer not to be named, and unlike trade bodies, charities publish audited accounts and answer to regulators.
“Factory farming, including salmon farming, is a global problem, and our funders support work against it across the world, of which our campaigning in the UK and Scotland is a small part.
“The salmon industry is just as global: Scotland’s four big producers are owned in Norway, the Faroe Islands and Canada, have received millions of pounds in public grants, and are represented by a trade body run by a former Scottish party leader whose job is to lobby ministers on their behalf. If anyone is using overseas money to influence Scottish policy, it is the industry itself.
“Salmon Scotland should stop attacking campaigners and start answering the questions the public is actually asking, about the suffering of the fish, the mass mortalities on its members’ farms, and the damage being done to Scotland’s lochs and wild salmon.”