THE Ferret’s article in the Sunday National (Limit for toxic sea lice chemical increased after industry lobbying) raises fundamental issues. The use of toxic chemicals both in agriculture and the fish farming industry may well harm other forms of life. Is there any absorption by the animals or fish so treated?
As a hill shepherd in the 1950s, to deal with the sheep tick problem, on orders from the UK’s Department of Agriculture we dipped the flock using a product based on arsenic. To ensure compliance a dipping form was completed and the operation was sometimes watched by the local policeman hoping for a cup of tea.
READ MORE: Loch Long salmon farm planning appeal to be decided by SNP ministers
Did the sheep so treated absorb even a tiny fraction of the product? Perhaps not, but when dipping finished the used water was tipped on the ground.
A vet who investigate the sudden death of my previous shepherd’s milk cow pointed at an empty sheep dip drum. Humans are now polluting the planet with an ever wider range of chemicals, perhaps most maybe safe, if checked in isolation. Chemicals do mix. Common sense might one day wonder who will be capable of checking their worldwide synergistic impact.
Iain R Thomson
Strathglass
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here