A new campaign group uniting forces against salmon farming expansion on the West coast of Scotland is launched today (13 November) at a public meeting in Back near Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. ‘Hebrides Against Salmon Farms’ brings together local communities who are fighting salmon farms across the Western Isles.
International campaigners including Kurt Oddekalv of the Green Warriors of Norway, Elena Edwards of Wild Salmon First from Canada and Don Staniford of the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture are in the Outer Hebrides visiting salmon farms in Loch Roag and around Harris.
“The island community of Gometra is unanimously opposed to salmon farming expansion,” said Roc Sandford who is fighting plans by the Scottish Salmon Company to expand around the Isle of Mull. “I think we all need to link together because at the moment we’re getting picked off one by one. Hebrides Against Salmon Farms is the logical next step.”
“A very strong, local community campaign fought off plans for a new salmon farm in Broad Bay,” said Peter Urpeth, who is also launching a new local campaign group on Lewis & Harris. “This was the first time a salmon farm application had been turned down on the Isle of Lewis, but we need to stay vigilant and not let our guard down.”
“Skye Waters Against Fish Farming (SWAFF) was officially launched as a campaign of the organisation ‘The Larger Picture’ last week at a public meeting on Skye,” said Arthur Sevestre who is speaking at tonight’s meeting and spoke at a meeting in Ullapool last night. “We’re now connecting with other local groups to raise public awareness to the threats posed by salmon farms. There are over a dozen applications for new farms in the waters around Skye with many more across Scotland. Connecting with other groups means that we can work in a united and organised way on the issue nationally and even globally rather than allowing the mighty corporations to pitch battles with small communities with very limited resources.”
“The campaign is going viral like the spread of infectious diseases on salmon farms,” said Don Staniford of GAAIA. “Global opposition against salmon farming is taking hold in Canada, Chile, Norway, Ireland, New Zealand as well as Scotland. Green warriors of the world are uniting against Norwegian multinationals such as Marine Harvest who are benefiting shareholders in Norway not local communities who depend upon a healthy marine environment.”
“May the global voices for wild salmon unite to deliver the message to Norway that Norwegian salmon farms are not welcome and must go!” said Elena Edwards of Wild Salmon First who is visiting from Canada. “Traveling thousands of miles throughout the oceans and seas, wild salmon know no borders. Unfortunately, neither does the salmon farming industry and the diseases that come with it. The spread of this predominantly Norwegian owned industry is going to require a united multi-national effort to ensure that salmon farming does not bring the final death blow to wild salmon of the world.”
“There is a global backlash against Norwegian corporations farming salmon in Canada, Chile, Scotland, Ireland, Norway and all over the world where Norwegian farmed salmon is sold,” said Kurt Oddekalv. “We must all stand together to fight this disease-ridden industry. Wild salmon warriors of the world must unite and the Green Warriors of Norway will be leading the way.”
Read the press release from GAAIA online here
GAAIA and Wild Salmon First have been touring around Scotland all November and will be joining Save Our Seals Fund in Edinburgh on 21 November for a protest against the killing of seals by salmon farms. On 22 November, the tour moves to Ireland for a public meeting in Bantry Bay (23 November) and then a visit to Galway Bay where the Irish Government are proposing a 15,000 tonne “organic” salmon farm (for a full itinerary please visit online here).
Watch videos on our trip around Scotland online here
“Salmon Pharming Kills With Chemicals” (GAAIA, 12 November)
“Sea Lice Kill Wild Fish” (GAAIA, 11 November)
“Wild salmon of Scotland need protecting” (GAAIA, 9 November)
“Skye Waters Against Fish Farming – Arthur Sevestre Explains” (GAAIA, 9 November)
“David Ainsley shows us the waste impacts of salmon farms” (GAAIA, 7 November)
“Don Staniford speaks at public hearing against salmon farms” (GAAIA, 7 November)
“Scottish Salmon Farms Bully Island Residents” (GAAIA, 6 November)
“Unnecessary Seal Deaths – Mark Carter Explains” (GAAIA, 6 November)
“Salmon Farming Kills Seals!” (GAAIA, 5 November)
“Scottish Salmon Stushie off the Isle of Arran” (GAAIA, 5 November)
“The Stench of Scottish Salmon Farming” (GAAIA, 4 November)
“Salmon Farm Disease Disaster in Lamlash Bay, Arran” (GAAIA, 3 November)
“GAAIA goes to Scotland’s diseased fish farms on Arran” (GAAIA, 3 November)
“Norwegian Fish Farms Get Out! Flying the flag for wild salmon” (GAAIA, 1 November)
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