Protests Continue Vs Cooke's Salmon Farming Expansion Off Orkney - appeal vs East Moclett in the pipeline!

The battle goes on vs Cooke Aquaculture's 'organic' expansion off Orkney @RutterfordArt
"I find it particularly distressing that the planning process has been handled in such an underhand way. There has been a duplicitous lack of transparency" #Appeal @OrkneyCouncil @amy_may pic.twitter.com/X0ckYOw1cw
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) September 8, 2022

Commenting after the decision by Orkney Islands Council earlier this afternoon (8 September 2022) to grant approval to what will be Scotland's largest salmon farm off the island of Papa Westray, No East Moclett Group told $camon $cotland:

"No East Moclett Group is considering our options and will be filing an appeal subject to legal opinion. No means no - the population of Papay are fed up of having to fight off salmon farm developers from encroaching into their precious inshore waters" https://t.co/LgaNEHGVY1 pic.twitter.com/MqtdiCTJbe
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) September 8, 2022

"Granting approval without proper consultation or community support is an affront to local democracy. In ignoring blanket opposition, OIC and Cooke have treated islanders on Papa Westray with sheer contempt. No East Moclett Group is considering our options and will be filing an appeal subject to legal opinion. No means no - the population of Papay are fed up of having to fight off salmon farm developers from encroaching into their precious inshore waters. Enough is enough - allowing further expansion of 'organic' salmon farming in Orkney is a threat to the marine environment and tourism. Today's decision is just the beginning of our fight against Cooke and the council's unreasonable approval of Scotland's largest salmon farm".

"Granting approval without proper consultation or community support is an affront to local democracy. In ignoring blanket opposition, @OrkneyCouncil & @CookeScotland have treated islanders on Papay with sheer contempt" (No East Moclett Group)https://t.co/LgaNEHGo8t @amy_may pic.twitter.com/rFKLJqjJNm
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) September 8, 2022

"Enough is enough - allowing further expansion of 'organic' salmon farming in Orkney is a threat to the marine environment & tourism. This is just the beginning of our fight vs Cooke & the council's unreasonable approval of Scotland's largest salmon farm" https://t.co/LgaNEHGo8t pic.twitter.com/jdDjYNItj7
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) September 9, 2022

Here's audio of objections raised with Orkney Islands Council during the planning committee meeting on 8 September 2022 - when Cooke Aquaculture were granted approval to Scotland's largest 'organic' salmon farm despite overwhelming opposition locally on Papa Westray:

Poor decision making yet again by @OrkneyIslandsCouncil. A death knell served to the Papay #Marine Protected Area by approving yet another fish farm to be built in an environmentally sensitive area. #plasticpollution #Seagrass #kelpforest #biodiversity #Ecosystemservices
— Dr Joanne Porter #WorkingToContract (@JoanneSPorter) September 8, 2022

An application for a salmon farm off east Moclett, Papa Westray has been met with approval by #Orkney islands planning committee.

Hearing from 4 of the dozens of objectors and the applicant, the committee gave it the thumbs-up with no movement to refuse put forward.
— Andrew Stewart LDR (@ARMstew) September 8, 2022

Chris Rutterford - one of the UK's top mural artists - wrote to Orkney Islands Council in March 2022:

Cooke's salmon farm "will be massively detrimental for the island & will have nothing but a negative impact for all residents throughout the community not to mention the environment. This cannot be allowed to happen" (artist Chris Rutterford) @OrkneyCouncil @CookeScotland pic.twitter.com/ZcwlgDT760
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) September 8, 2022

The Orcadian reported (8 September 2022):

Disgraceful! Disgusting and utterly disrespectful! https://t.co/Nz0ukoLlA2
— Kate Chatto (@KateChatto1) September 9, 2022

Salmon Business reported (8 September 2022):

Organic Scamon: here's what Cooke Aquaculture's salmon from Westray on Orkney look like (as inspected by @marinescotland in May) @The_Orcadian @bbcorkney @OrkneyCouncil
Why does the @SoilAssociation certify salmon farms as 'organic'? @SoilAssocScot @CookeScotland @cookeseafood pic.twitter.com/7FTcnt01zG
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) August 24, 2022