The Sheriff Appeal Court in Edinburgh on Thursday (1 February) is the venue for Mowi vs Staniford with lawsuits filed by Scottish Sea Farms and Bakkafrost sisted (a stay or suspension of legal proceedings) until after the outcome of Mowi’s SLAPP.
“These cases are a threat to the rights we all have to freedom of expression and to navigate on the open sea,” said retired lawyer Ewan Kennedy who has closely followed Staniford’s case. “It’s essential that the salmon farming industry should not succeed in preventing the public from finding out what’s going on in our waters. Combining tenacity with a strong scientific background, Don Staniford has been carrying out work which governmental regulators have signally failed to do, and in the process has exposed countless instances of animal abuse and pollution. Time and again the video evidence which he has gathered has provided the basis for articles in the mainstream press and on television. Staniford’s secret filming is clearly in the public interest.”
“Please help stop Norwegian-owned companies using the Scottish courts to shut down secret filming at salmon farms across Scotland,” explains a Crowd Justice fund-raising page. “Take a look at the horrors uncovered in 2023 and you can see why salmon farming companies are desperate to stop the public from seeing the ugly truth about Scottish salmon.”
“If these foreign-owned companies win permanent interdicts (injunctions) against public access it will severely limit public scrutiny of the welfare and environmental conditions in which salmon are being farmed,” warns Staniford’s Crowd Justice page. “Interdicts against me will establish a precedent for restraining other coastal users such as fishermen, kayakers, swimmers, tourism operators, wind surfers, yacht people and other boat users from crossing parts of the sea. The salmon farming giants are also, chillingly, seeking to prevent anyone I might otherwise help, instruct or encourage from undertaking covert surveillance. If you've watched the film ‘Supersize Me’ or read the books ‘McLibel’ and ‘Buying Silence’ you'll know how massive corporations work so hard to stifle and silence public criticism. I firmly believe that these lawsuits have fundamentally been brought to protect these companies from reputational damage rather than being to ensure the health and safety of their operations.”
It's going to be an interesting week - off to Edinburgh to face salmon giant Mowi in the Sheriff Appeal Court. Please help stop Norwegian-owned companies using the Scottish courts to shut down secret filming at salmon farms across Scotland! https://t.co/UIjV2C3NHP #Mowi #SLAPP pic.twitter.com/relKXNqg5X
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) January 29, 2024
Read more via:
Mowi Appeal Hearing Set for 1 February 2024!
SLAPP Attack: Bakkafrost's Chilling Writ Attempts to Shut Down Surveillance!
GEO Podcast: "When Staniford is on the move, salmon farmers' alarm bells are ringing"
The Herald's Vicky Allan: "David vs three Goliaths"
Norway's E24 reporting on 'Zombie' Bakkafrost's SLAPP!
Scottish Anti-SLAPP Summit in Glasgow in February 2024 - spotlight on the $almafia!
Most Read: "Anti-salmon farm activist suffers new legal blow"
"Bakkafrost goes after anti-salmon farming activist in new legal case" (Intrafish)
'Zombie' Bakkafrost SLAPPs Back vs Horror Videos!
Fighting Back Vs the $almafia's $LAPPs (in the spirit of David slaying Goliath)!
Anti-SLAPP conference in London - fighting back vs the $almafia!
‘End Salmon Farming’ Tour Kicks Off Despite Legal Threats by Norwegian $almafia!
Mail On Sunday: "Salmon activist who's been banned from going within 50ft of dozens of fish farms"
The Times: "Kayak vigilante goes undercover to expose salmon farming ‘horror’"
EXPOSED: Welfare Abuse at RSPCA Assured Wester Ross Salmon Farm
Videos & Photos: Welfare Abuse at Wester Ross Fisheries (Mowi) in Loch Broom
Private Eye on Mowi's SLAPP in the face of public access/interest!
Oban Times: "Fish farming giant denies it wants to gag activist"
"Mowi Scotland denies it wants to ‘gag’ activist" (Fish Farmer)
SLAPPed by Norwegian Giant Mowi!
"Mowi court battle with notorious salmon farming opponent gets underway in Scotland" (Intrafish)
The Oban Times: "Mowi takes anti-salmon farming campaigner to court"
Pyrrhic Victory or Legal Loss - Mowi's 'asymmetric war' is doomed to failure!
Censored: Trade Press Ignore 'Droit de Response' (Right of Reply) - until politely asked to do so!
"The People Are Disgusted With Mowi's Legal Action Against Don Staniford - Stop Buying Mowi Salmon!"
Mowi Actively Courts Trade Press Backlash Vs 'Irrational' & 'Fanatical' Activist!
STV News: "Salmon farm firm takes legal action against animal welfare campaigner"
Press statement on lawsuit vs Mowi
Mowi press release: "Court order sought to protect health and safety"
"Anti-salmon farming activist Don Staniford will attempt to overturn a court ban on his covert visits to Mowi Scotland’s fish farms at an appeal hearing" @salmonfarming1 "A one-day hearing will be held in Parliament House on February 1" https://t.co/QGf8g5KFdf @MowiScotlandLtd
— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) December 27, 2023
Read a media backgrounder online here