The film ‘Salmon Confidential’ has its Norwegian premiere this week as delegates gather for the North Atlantic Seafood Forum in Bergen. In keeping with the theme of the film, conference organizers have banned the film from being screened and banned the media from reporting. ‘Salmon Confidential’ follows biologist Alexandra Morton and Professor Are Nylund from the University of Bergen as they track salmon viruses in British Columbia back to Norway.
“I thought I was in Norway not China,” said Don Staniford of the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture (GAAIA) who will be protesting peacefully outside the conference venue. “Censorship is alive and kicking both the public and the media in the teeth at the North Atlantic Seafood Forum in Bergen. It is shameful that Norway awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo in 2010 yet in 2013 are clamping down on freedom of speech. Norway claims to be a bastion of human rights and free speech yet the Norwegian salmon farming industry is being shielded from legitimate public criticism. ‘Salmon Confidential’ lifts the lid on the can of worms that is Norwegian salmon farming.”
Listen to Don Staniford speaking about salmon censorship on NRK radio – online here
Conference delegates and the media are all cordially invited to watch ‘Salmon Confidential’ – private screenings will be arranged in the conference hotel (Radisson Blu Bryggen) on 6 & 7 March. A public event officially launching ‘Salmon Confidential’ will take place on Friday (8 March) hosted by the Green Warriors of Norway. For more details on ‘Salmon Confidential’ visit Salmon Are Sacred
The media blackout at the North Atlantic Seafood Forum in Bergen is attracting growing criticism. Undercurrent News reported (26 February): “Journalists outside the employment of Intrafish Media will not be permitted to report in English from the upcoming North Atlantic Seafood Forum, seemingly because of a behind-the-scenes deal on media coverage of the event…… Sponsors of the event, who include Marine Harvest, Morpol, Leroy Seafood Group, Paine and Partners, Findus Group and Nergard, seemed unaware of the situation, when asked about it on Feb. 21.”
Undercurrent News reported (27 February): “The shutdown of English language coverage of the North Atlantic Seafood Forum to only Intrafish journalists is both bad for the seafood sector and bad for the event, comments Tom Seaman. In my view, the shutdown of editorial coverage to one organization represents a suppression of basic press freedom……the shutdown been handled in a staggeringly unprofessional manner that makes a mockery of an event aiming to have global importance.”
Read the press release as a PDF online here
Listen to NRK radio reporting (6 March) online here
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