Campaigners have forced the Soil Association to reveal its salmon farm inspection reports, amid claims that certifying the farmed fish as “organic” is misleading to consumers.

The Soil Association’s Organic scheme, the UK’s oldest and most widely recognised organic certification, defines organic farming as “using methods that benefit our whole food system, from people to planet, plant health to animal welfare.”

But critics say its Aquaculture Standard allows use of chemical treatments, including pesticides known to be toxic to marine life, and methods that are damaging to the environment and the welfare of the farmed fish.

After a two-day hearing, the information tribunal ruled the charity’s certification arm must share its inspection reports with WildFish, a campaign group that has claimed labelling farmed salmon organic amounts to “unacceptable greenwashing”.