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30 May 2024

05/30/2024

GAGGED: Faroese Government refuses to disclose information on Bakkafrost's $10 million fine for welfare violations

 



 

The Faroese Food & Veterinary Authority is refusing to disclose information on Bakkafrost's $10 million fine for welfare violations - passing the buck onto the Faroese Police. 

 

 



Here's my Freedom  of Information request to the Faroese Food & Veterinary Authority dated 16 May 2024:

 

From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, 16 May 2024, 12:29
Subject: Freedom of Information request
To: <[email protected]>
 
Please consider this a formal Freedom of Information request under Faroese and Danish FOI, environmental and welfare laws.
 
Please provide information on any breaches of welfare and veterinary laws by Bakkafrost (including Forka and Havsbrun) since 1 January 2018.
 
Please include the welfare case reported in December 2021 by Intrafish:
 
 
 
Please include documents, letters, emails, photos, videos, details of fines and enforcement action and any other information relevant to the above FOI.
 
Please provide a receipt for this information and please provide the information electronically.
 
Thanks,
 
Don Staniford 
 
Director, The Real Salmon Farming Resistance 

 

 

 

Here is the FOI non-reply from the Faroese Food & Veterinary Authority which is complete nonsense and refers the matter to the Faroese Police:

 

HFS FOI reply 27 May 2024 #1

 

HFS FOI reply 27 May 2024 #2

HFS FOI reply 27 May 2024 #3

 

 

When pressed to disclose damning documents, the legal adviser of the Faroese Food & Veterinary Authority suggested an in person meeting:

 

From: Jens Dam <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, May 28, 2024 at 5:32 PM
Subject: Aftursvar til Don Saniford 24/00715-9
To: Don Staniford <[email protected]>

Dear Don,

According to the articles it is necessary to give guidance. The thing is that your request is not specific enough to handle according to the articles in the law. It is suggested by you that there are multiple cases then you have to be more specific. The one specific case mentioned regarding a fine is a police case and therefore not a matter with the Faroese Food and Veterinary Authority.

Unfortunately we are not offering any meeting via electronic devices like “Zoom” or anything similar for the matter.

You are welcome to take a meeting on this some other time as I can offer you a face to face meeting.

Best regards

Jens Dam

Legal adviser, Aquaculture Department

+298 556 400 | [email protected]

HEILSUFRØÐILIGA STARVSSTOVAN

Faroese Food and Veterinary Authority

+298 556 400 | [email protected] | hfs.fo

 

 

 

I have since filed FOI requests with the Faroese Police and the Faroese Government as well as filing complaints to the Danish Government - and explained to the Faroese Food and Veterinary Authority:

 

From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, May 30, 2024 at 6:59 PM
Subject: Re: Aftursvar til Don Saniford 24/00715-9
To: Jens Dam <[email protected]>
 
Jens,
 
Please provide the information requested.  I have now filed complaints with the Danish Government over your woeful lack of reply which is frankly nonsense and will surely be overturned.
 
 
I still look forward to reading all the documentation you hold on this case.
 
Your continued denial of the information will only fuel media interest.
 
As further context, here's video/audio footage of my meeting with Bárður Enni on 16 May 2024: https://vimeo.com/948587640/837928b745
 
Thanks,
 
Don
 

 

 

 

 

 

Back in December 2021, the Faroese state broadcaster KVF reported (including video footage of Bárður Enni):

 

KVF #2

 

 

The Faroese state media report in December 2021 also included an email from the Prime Minister's chief of staff John Rajani who is described as a cousin of Bakkafrost's CEO Regin Jacobsen:

 

KVF #3

 

 

Faced with gagged government officials and the power of the Faroese $almafia who are working to keep Bakkafrost's welfare violations state secrets - as well as a language barrier - it is proving difficult to get to the bottom of Bakkafrost's welfare abuses.  At least there is an English report published by Intrafish in December 2021:

 

Intrafish #1

 

Intrafish #2

Intrafish #3

 

 

Attempts to follow the story up with Faroese state media - and other media outlets in the Faroes - have been met with blocked emails and blank screens.

 

 

 

When I visited Bakkafrost's head office in Glyvrar on 17 May, CEO Regin Jacobsen refused to answer questions on Bakkafrost's $10 million fine for welfare violations - watch video footage online here

 

 

 



 

Meanwhile, the search for answers and damning documents on Bakkafrost goes on!

 

From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, May 28, 2024 at 7:01 AM
Subject: FOI request on Bakkafrost's fine for welfare abuse
To: <[email protected]>
 
Please consider this a formal Freedom of Information request under Faroese and Danish FOI, environmental and welfare laws.
 
Please provide information on any breaches of welfare and veterinary laws by Bakkafrost (including Forka and Havsbrun) since 1 January 2018.
 
Please include the welfare case reported in December 2021 by Intrafish:
 
 
 
 
Please include documents, letters, emails, photos, videos, details of fines and enforcement action and any other information relevant to the above FOI.
 
Please provide a receipt for this information and please provide the information electronically.
 
As context, HFS replied yesterday (see attached PDF/letter) to a similar FOI request filed on 16 May 2024.  I do not speak Faroese but a rough translation appears to suggest that the Faroese Police have the information.
 
When I spent time at the Faroese police station in Torshavn on 17 May 2024, a policeman also claimed that Bakkafrost's fine for welfare abuse was public knowledge and that information should be available. 
 
Thanks,
 
Don Staniford 
 
Director, The Real Salmon Farming Resistance 

 

 



 

From: Don Staniford <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, May 30, 2024 at 11:52 AM
Subject: FOI request re. Bakkafrost violations in the Faroe Islands
To: <[email protected]>
 
Please consider this a formal Freedom of Information request under Faroese and Danish FOI, environmental and welfare laws.
 
Please provide information on any breaches of welfare and veterinary laws by Bakkafrost (including Forka and Havsbrun) since 1 January 2018.
 
As background, please see below the FOI request dated 16 May 2024 sent to HFS and the attached HFS non-reply which refuses to provide the information requested. 
 
Please also consider this a complaint against HFS for failure to properly reply to the FOI request.
 
 
Thanks,
 
Don Staniford 
 
Director, The Real Salmon Farming Resistance
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted at 08:22 PM |

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Deja Vu: Bakkafrost Hit By Deadly Infectious Salmon Anaemia in the Faroes

 

 

 

 

Intrafish reported (27 May 2024):

 

ISA #2

 

 

Bakkafrost's shares fell due to the deadly news as investors remembered the financial bloodbath following the ISA outbreaks in the Faroes in 2008 and 2017:

 

 

 

 

Seafood Source reported (28 May 2024):

 

ISA #1

 

 

Fish Farming Expert reported (27 May 2024):

 

ISA #3

 

 

ISA is rearing its ugly head once again in the Faroes.  Intrafish reported in 2000:

 

ISA #5

 

 

 

Seafood Source reported in 2016:

 

ISA #4

 

 

Fish Farming Expert reported in 2017:

 

ISA #6

 

 

The economic and political importance of salmon farming in the Faroe Islands cannot be overstated.  Bakkafrost, the largest salmon farming company in the Faroes, accounts for "around 50 percent of the nation's total exports" and counts the Faroese Prime Minister as a former employee (Bakkafrost's lawyer is also a former Member of Parliament and the Faroese Government's chief of staff is a cousin of Bakkafrost's CEO).  

 

 

 

 

 



 

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Posted at 07:51 AM |

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