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UPDATE: 5 August 2013
CENSORED: This blog has now been censored!
Read more via West Coast Environment Law: "Lack of footnotes costs fish farm activist $75,000"
Donate to Don Staniford's legal fund online here!
How Norway Killed Free Speech in Canada!
My Facebook page has now been censored:
My Twitter page has now been censored:
My You Tube channel has now been censored:
The British Columbia Court of Appeal today (22 July) delivered a shocking SLAPP in the face for freedom of speech. The judgment by Justices Tysoe, Bennett and Saunders included:
The judgment concluded:
"This is a SLAPP in the face," said the Defendant, Don Staniford. "This shocking judgment will have a chilling effect on all campaigners speaking out on environmental and social justice issues. The Norwegian Government, as owners in the multinational Cermaq, have effectively abused the Canadian courts to muzzle global criticism against salmon farming."
"Norwegian companies not only have a monopoly on salmon farming but this judgment sends the signal that they also own the law," continued Staniford. "The wide-ranging permanent injunction has huge implications for freedom of speech and cannot be allowed to stand. Basic statements of fact and opinion such as 'Wild Salmon Don't Do Drugs' and 'Friends Don't Let Friends Eat Farmed Salmon' are now outlawed. Newspapers will now be banned from reporting the facts: of how salmon farming kills sea lions; how salmon farming kills lobsters and how salmon farming spreads infectious diseases. Scientific journals will now have to re-write papers to comply with the Draconian terms of the permanent injunction. I will fight this Norwegian multinational all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada via an appeal. The truth always wins out in the end!"
To see the shocking scope of the permanent injunction – including a copy and the 50+ statements now banned - please read "Censorship Like A Cancer Grows"
The injunction was summarized in Cermaq's appeal as follows:
The permanent injunction would not only apply to Don Staniford and the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture but also to ANY person or company aware of the injunction i.e. the general public and the media. On the last day of the 20-day trial in 2012, Cermaq's lawyers detailed the Draconian terms of the injunction - referred to as the 'No Future Defamation Term':
Cermaq's heavy-handed lawyers at Fasken Martineau spelled out in black and white what they consider to be the 'Defamatory Words' in their Amended Notice of Civil Claim (52 statements in total):
Anybody with knowledge of today's judgment must therefore remove any words relating to the above!
Cermaq's Canadian subsidiary Mainstream Canada responded to the judgment via a press release (22 July):
Read in full online here
The Canadian Press/Huffington Post reported (22 July):
The article concluded:
Read in full via "Don Staniford, Salmon Activist, Ordered To Pay Fish Farm $75,000"
CBC News reported (22 July):
The Common Sense Canadian reported (22 July):
Read in full online here
The Province reported (22 July):
Intrafish reported (23 July):
Read more on the 'Salmon Farming Kills' lawsuit via:
The appeal judgment in the "Salmon Farming Kills" lawsuit will be published by the BC Court of Appeal on Monday 22nd July - the judgment will be posted online here
At stake is the reputation of the Norwegian Government-owned corporation Cermaq (the Plaintiff) and Don Staniford of the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture (the Defendant).
Cermaq, who reported a profit of NOK 404 million ($70 million) in 2012, is seeking damages of "over £125,000" and a permanent injunction against over 50 phrases such as "Friends Don't Let Friends Eat Farmed Fish" and "Wild Salmon Don't Do Drugs".
Read more via the blogs: "Norway Tightens Noose on Free Speech!" and "Censorship Like A Cancer Grows"
"Win, lose or draw, the Norwegian Government should hang their heads in shame for abusing the Canadian courts to clamp down on free speech," said Don Staniford, the Defendant. "This is a blatant SLAPP suit designed to kill global criticism of Norway's disease-ridden salmon farming industry. However, far from stemming dissent this lawsuit has served only to amplify the campaign to clean up the Norwegian-owned salmon farming industry. 'Salmon Farming Kills' is now common parlance – even at home in Norway where Norwegian newspapers recently reported on the health hazards and scientists warned against the consumption of contaminated farmed salmon."
For comments and reaction to the judgment please visit the Salmon Farming Kills web-site
Read more on the 'Salmon Farming Kills' lawsuit via:
The appeal hearing took place on 28th May 2013 in the British Columbia Court of Appeal in Vancouver.
Read the appeal documents detailing Cermaq's legal case (factum) in full online here
Read the appeal documents detailing Don Staniford's legal case (factum) in full online here
Read Cermaq's counter-response to the factum online here
Please donate to the legal fighting fund online here!
I have the honour of speaking at National Geographic's London store on Wednesday - details online here
Norway's trade publication Intrafish reported this morning (15 July):
Walmart became the latest supermarket to feel the heat when the Chilliwack chapter of the Salmon Feedlot Boycott protested yesterday (10 July) outside the world's #1 retail chain.
"'Wild Salmon forever, wild salmon forever, wild salmon forever', that was the chant heard outside of the Eagle Landing Walmart Wednesday afternoon," reported My Chilliwack News (10 July). "The chants were out of protest from the Chilliwack chapter of the Salmon Feedlot Boycott for Walmart’s across Canada to stop stocking their shelves with farmed Atlantic salmon and for those shopping in the stores to not purchase it. Members of the Feedlot Boycott were armed with educational materials regarding the harmful effects of the feedlots set in our B.C. coastal waters, among other places across Canada and the world."
Watch a video report online here
The Chilliwack Progress reported (11 July):
Read article in full online via "Chilliwack Walmart sees renewed protest against farmed salmon again"
"I’m in direct contact with John Lawrence, he’s the Director of Social Responsibility at Walmart," said protest organizer Eddie Gardner. "He made a commitment to me that the new information that I have generated focusing on the health to human beings will be shared with his team."
Elena Edwards of Wild Salmon First labelled Atlantic farmed salmon "disgusting".
Watch a video report online here
Walmart sell both farmed and wild salmon but the farmed salmon is not even labelled!
For more details on the infectious diseases and viruses lurking in BC farmed salmon watch 'Salmon Confidential' - online here
Farmed salmon is trash fish and belongs in the bin!
Watch a video report online here
Go wild for salmon not farmed!
Don't bring home the virus!
Eating farmed salmon will only make you sick!
Protect wild salmon by boycotting farmed salmon!
Farmed salmon deserves to be towed away!
Tell Walmart to cut the crap and stop selling farmed salmon!
The next protest will be outside Canadian Superstore on 1 August - join the Salmon Feedlot Boycott online here
London's West End has joined a Cat's chorus of vocal opposition to plans by Wester Ross Fisheries to expand in Loch Kanaird, Wester Ross.
"Plans to upgrade a controversial fish farm in the Scottish Highlands have prompted a chorus of disapproval led by the family of Sir Tim Rice, the West End lyricist," reported The Sunday Times (7 July).
Here's a photo of Sir Tim Rice with his son Donald Rice at the 2012 screening of his directorial debut, Cheerful Weather For The Wedding.
The Sunday Times article continued:
Read a PDF version of the article in full online here
The letter of objection from Donald Rice includes:
The letter of objection concluded:
The following photos which would be enough to make Jesus Christ Superstar weep like baby Jesus were also enclosed:
Read the objection in full online here
With over 40 other objections from members of the public against the expansion plan, it's hopefully a case of checkmate.
For more news read:
Fish News EU reported (5 July):
The article concluded:
Writing in Village magazine (2 July), Tony Lowes of Friends of the Irish Environment reported:
The public backlash against the Irish Government's plans for the world's largest "organic" salmon farm - all 15,000 tonnes of it - in Galway Bay gathers pace. The Financial Times reported (23 June):
Read article in full online via "Ireland’s fish farming plans cause environmental concern"
Slow Food Galway also urged caution (19 June):
Slow Food Galway pointed out:
Read more news from Ireland via:
Independent: "Irish Government Faces Fight"
Ireland's "North Korean Approach to Democracy"
"Feck Off": Notice From A Small Island!
Ireland's Organic Scamon - EXPOSED!
Ireland Says ‘Feck Off’ to Super-Size Salmon Feedlot in Galway Bay
Fightin' Irish Take On Super-Size Salmon!
Tourists visiting the West coast of Scotland are accustomed to being eaten alive by swarms of Highland "midges" (small flies similar to mosquitos) - the scourge of Scotland.
New data released today (3 July) by the Salmon & Trout Association reveals that wild sea trout are also being eaten alive - by swarms of sea lice parasites from nearby salmon farms.
Read more via the Salmon & Trout Association's web-site online here
Download photos online here
The Scotsman reported (3 July):
Read article in full online here
The Herald reported (4 July):
Read article in full online here
The Times reported (4 July):
Read article in full online here
Sea lice data published by the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) is available on their web-site.
The latest SSPO sea lice report (January to March 2013) includes:
Download SSPO sea lice report in full online here
Last year a peer-reviewed scientific paper published by the Royal Society reported how sea lice from salmon farms killed between 18% and 55% of adult salmon in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean.
The Herald reported (7 November 2012):
Read the Royal Society paper in full online here
Read more data on sea lice infestation in Scotland via 'FishyLeaks'
Read more news via
The front page of the Ross-Shire Journal reported (21 June):
Download article as a PDF online here
Read all the public comments submitted to Highland Council online here - objections include the following:
For more details read Salmon "Stushie" in Scotland - Legal Action in Wester Ross! and Legal Battle Brewing in Wester Ross
The Salmon & Trout Association also issued a press release (27 June) lambasting Marine Scotland's "unforgiveable" response:
Read more via "Marine Scotland Science ignoring their own evidence in 'unforgiveable' response to Wester Ross salmon farm application"
For further information on Scottish salmon farms visit "Scotland's Salmon Sell-Outs"