A sea loch on the west coast of Scotland prized for its wildlife has been polluted by countless thousands of scraps of plastic waste from the manufacture of salmon farm cages on the shore.
The number of fines issued to rogue fishermen has decreased over the past three years while skippers caught fishing in protected waters have not been reported to the procurator fiscal, we can reveal.
The efforts of departments in the Scottish Government to improve their freedom of information performance have been "disappointing", according to Scotland's information watchdog.
Over 100 boats were reportedly seen in protected fishing areas over the past four years, and campaigners say rogue fishermen are supplying a black market for seafood.
Video footage of damage to the seabed by illegal scallop dredging off Jura has been obtained by The Ferret, prompting calls for urgent enforcement action to be taken against rogue fisherman.
The skipper of a scallop dredger registered in Scotland has been fined £1,000 after being caught fishing in territorial waters off Guernsey.
Underwater film footage revealing the damage allegedly caused by illegal scallop dredging is being published by The Ferret in the wake of claims that protected wildlife areas are being “pulverised”.
The fish farm caught on film with lice-infested salmon has been reprimanded by the Scottish Government - but the move has been damned as “truly pathetic” by critics.
Scarred, frayed and lice-infested salmon caught on film at a fish farm off the island of Lewis have prompted animal cruelty investigations.
