In the letter, addressed directly to chefs, the pair, who co-run Hartnett Holder & Co at Lime Wood in Hampshire, described the industry as being at a ‘pivotal ecological turning point’ and urged fellow chefs to reject what they describe as an unsustainable product. The letter has now been signed by more than 250 chefs and food industry figures.
Hartnett and Holder argue that farmed salmon production ‘fuels pollution, diseases and parasites, antibiotic use, escapee interbreeding, and the depletion of wild fish for feed’, all of which they say threaten wild salmon populations. ‘It’s time chefs took it off the table,’ they say.
The letter highlights a reported 70% decline in wild salmon populations in Scottish rivers since 2000, describing the species as now endangered in the UK. It states that open-net salmon farms along the Scottish coastline pose a ‘major threat’ to their survival.
Among the environmental concerns cited are the interbreeding of escaped farmed salmon with wild stocks, the spread of sea lice and other diseases, and the impact of chemicals used in salmon farming. The letter claims these chemicals can be lethal to other marine life, in particular lobsters, crabs and prawns, raising concerns about contamination within the wider seafood supply chain.
The chefs also describe farmed salmon as ‘undeniably unsustainable’, pointing to the industry’s reliance on trawling from ‘already overfished seas’ for feed, with much of it sourced from regions where local communities depend on those stocks for protein and employment.
Animal welfare is another focus. The letter states that mortality rates of 20% or higher during a production cycle are ‘not unusual’, attributing deaths to disease outbreaks and water quality issues. ‘Wild salmon and salmon farms cannot co-exist,’ the letter argues. ‘We have to choose if we want to ensure the survival of the magnificent wild salmon or allow farmed salmon laced with antibiotics and sea lice to prevail.’
Instead, Hartnett and Holder encourage chefs to champion lesser-known, locally caught species. In the UK, they note, consumers tend to rely on just five species - cod, haddock, tuna, salmon and prawns - despite the availability of a wide variety of British seafood. By replacing farmed salmon with traceable, locally landed fish, they argue, chefs can offer ‘superior flavour’ and a more memorable dining experience while supporting marine ecosystems.
The intervention comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Scottish salmon sector following several high-profile incidents, including the escape of 75,000 farmed salmon, the deaths of more than 250,000 fish, and leading salmon producer Mowi’s loss of the Royal Warrant.
In a joint statement posted on Instagram in collaboration with Off The Table and Wild Fish Conservation, the duo said farmed salmon ‘has no place on our menus’ and called on other chefs to follow suit.