L e g ac y Special Edition
Wild Game Fish Conservation International http://WGFCI.blogspot.com Š 2012 Wild Game Fish Conservation International
Legacy Wild Game Fish Conservation International Wild Game Fish Conservation International (WGFCI): Established in 2011 to advocate for wild game fish, their fragile ecosystems and the cultures and economies that rely on their robust populations. LEGACY: Complimentary, no-nonsense, monthly publication by conservationists for conservationists LEGACY, the WGFCI Facebook page and the WGFCI website are utilized to educate fellow conservationists, elected officials, business owners and others regarding wild game fish, their contributions to society and the varied issues impacting them and those who rely on their sustainability. LEGACY features wild game fish conservation projects, fishing adventures, accommodations, equipment and more. Your photos and articles featuring wild game fish from around planet earth are welcome for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue of LEGACY. Your “Letters to the Editor” are welcome. Successful wild game fish conservation efforts around planet earth will ensure existence of these precious natural resources and their ecosystems for future generations to enjoy and appreciate. This is our LEGACY.
Wild Game Fish Conservation International founders: Bruce Treichler
Co-editor “Legacy”
Jim Wilcox
Publisher and co-editor “Legacy”
Legacy
Contents Editorial Comment ............................................................................................................... 4 Salmon and Goliath – The Case Against Don Staniford ................................................... 5
Mainstream Canada begins legal proceedings against Don Staniford .............. 5
Salmon Activist Draws Outpouring of Public Cash for Legal Battle .................. 6
Mainstream calls activist's accusations 'unfounded and irresponsible' ............ 7
Website Launch: Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture ................................... 8 Thank you for helping with Don Staniford’s mounting legal fees .................................... 9 Attention Conservation-minded Business Owners ......................................................... 10 WGFCI endorsed conservation organizations ................................................................. 10
Editorial Comment As the March 2012 issue of Legacy is being compiled for global distribution in February, our friend and fellow wild fish conservationist, Don Staniford, is in the fight of his life. He’s being sued by Cermaq/Mainstream Canada for defamation. This multinational, multi-billion dollar per year salmon feedlot corporate giant cannot stand the truth. Mr. Staniford, like many others, has rightfully and courageously compared the open pen salmon feedlot industry to the tobacco industry – both lead to direct and second-hand health challenges, government corruption, slick legal teams, marketing trickery and so much more. If this is not enough, Mr. Staniford is being threatened by Canada with deportation back to England where he is from. This is seen by many as yet another in a series of attempts by Canadian officials, who many say are “in bed with” Norwegian-owned salmon feedlot industries, to muzzle someone willing to tell the truth about the known and unknown adverse impacts of open pen Atlantic salmon feedlots sited in British Columbia’s precious and very sensitive marine environments. Deporting Mr. Staniford is absolutely wrong thinking by the Canadian government as he strives to protect and restore Canada’s wild Pacific salmon and their ecosystems. Diverse cultures and economies in Canada rely on healthy natural resources to ensure very special lifestyles. Exchanging these healthy and productive lifestyles and valuable natural resources for unsustainable, greed-driven multinational corporations with a long history of ecological destruction is absolutely unacceptable. Shame on Canada’s elected officials for intentionally ignoring her precious natural resources in exchange for greed and personal profit. This abbreviated edition of Legacy is dedicated to Don Staniford to show our appreciation for his extraordinary fight to protect and restore wild Pacific salmon and steelhead, their precious ecosystems and the cultures and economies that rely on them. This is also an opportunity to ask that you join with many others who care about the future of wild Pacific salmon by contributing to Don’s very expensive legal battles. http://www.wildsalmonfirst.org/ As recreational fishermen, Wild Game Fish Conservation International is our passion. Publishing “Legacy” is our self-imposed responsibility to ensure the future of wild game fish.
Bruce Treichler
James E. Wilcox
Salmon and Goliath – The Case Against Don Staniford Mainstream Canada begins legal proceedings against Don Staniford Mainstream Canada has begun legal proceedings against Mr. Don Staniford and his organization The Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture, for defamatory statements that have been made regarding the company‟s fish farming operations. Mainstream and Cermaq views his statements as false and misleading.
The statements made by Mr. Staniford (illustration) are a direct attack on Mainstream Canada‟s and parent company Cermaq‟s reputations as responsible company engaged in sustainable aquaculture. - For a number of years certain environmental activists in British Columbia, Canada, have been attacking our company and the industry with false and misleading statements. We have a responsibility towards our employees, that is why Mainstream Canada is acting now, says Lise Bergan, Corporate Affairs Director of Cermaq -Our employees are working hard every day ensuring responsible aquaculture. We adhere to strict regulations and our company code of conduct. Comparing fish farming with cancer is an offence to all our employees, but also disrespectful to all those who suffer from cancer, comments Lise Bergan. Statements made by Mr. Staniford have gone beyond logic and defy the conclusions of many well respected researchers and third party experts who have documented and reported on fish farming practices and their impact on individuals, the environment or other industries. Mr. Staniford‟s intention seems to be to frighten and convince consumers to turn away from eating farmed salmon. Contrary to his statements, the health benefits of eating fat fish like farmed salmon are broadly encouraged. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least two times (two servings) a week. For Mainstream Canada this is not only a question of protecting our reputation, but an obligation to employees, and to their partners like suppliers, the communities where Mainstream operates and Mainstream‟s First Nations partners. The objective of Mainstream and Cermaq is a business environment where issues are discussed with fair arguments based on knowledge, and not a situation where individuals or organizations such as Mr. Staniford„s obstruct with defamatory actions.
ď ś Salmon Activist Draws Outpouring of Public Cash for Legal Battle January 16, 2012
http://www.wildsalmonfirst.org/
Editorial Comment: Wild Game Fish Conservation International is paying close attention to this lawsuit by a foreign-owned, multi-billion dollar corporation against Don Staniford, an individual conservationist. The judgeâ€&#x;s ruling in this case will have tremendous ramifications regarding freedom of speech in Canada AND the ongoing, international efforts to protect and restore wild Pacific salmon throughout their north Pacific range.
Don Staniford is in the battle of his life with Norwegian salmon farming giant, Cermaq-Mainstream
This case has global implications as well given that Cermaq and other corporations own and operate open pen salmon feedlots around planet Earth. This industry relies on wild fish as a source of protein for farmraised salmon..
If money talks, then the geyser of financial support that has sprung in the past few days for salmon activist Don Staniford's legal defence speaks volumes. Staniford - who has been described by aquaculture trade media as salmon farming's "public enemy number one" - is being sued by the world's second largest farmed salmon producer, Oslo-based Cermaq (operating as Mainstream in Canada), for defamation. The trial, expected to run 20 days, begins today at the BC Supreme Court in Vancouver. The company, whose biggest shareholder is the Norwegian Government, may have been banking on Staniford submitting to its demands out of court due to a lack of funds to pursue the case - but any chance of that happening disappeared over the past weekend when the activist raised over $20,000 in public donations for his legal battle. Staniford has been building his case, giving depositions and collecting evidence over the last several months but only went to the public for funding this past Friday, when he launched a page on the community fundraising site gofundme.com. Since then, as of this printing, over $11,000 have tumbled in - in contributions that range from $10-500 a pop, most of them being in the $30-50 region. The goal of the gofundme.com campaign is to raise $50,000 in total. On top of those online donations, a Norwegian fishing group, The Wild Salmon Warriors of Norway, announced this morning it was kicking in 60,000 Norwegian Krone ($10,000 CAD) of its own. As the former director of the global Pure Salmon Campaign, Staniford frequently traveled the world of the aquaculture industry, drawing together an international alliance of over 30 groups and coalitions battling the industry in Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, Chile, the United States and Canada. (Full disclosure: I've worked with Staniford on the Pure Salmon campaign - including my film "Farmed Salmon Exposed" and other initiatives over the years).
READ ENTIRE THE CANADIAN ARTICLE HERE
Editorial Comment: Wild Game Fish Conservation International and our associates support an immediate and permanent moratorium on open pen Atlantic salmon feedlots sited in British Columbia and Washington State marine ecosystems.
Salmon farm Mainstream Canada. (Photo: Mainstream Canada)
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Mainstream calls activist's accusations 'unfounded and irresponsible' January 18, 2012
In response to a prolonged and deliberate attack on its company and employees, Mainstream Canada has been forced to defend its reputation against "unfounded and irresponsible" accusations by an anti-salmon farming activist, the company said in a statement. During the trial, which began this week, Mainstream Canada said it would defend the reputation of its company, which is proud to be the first salmon farm in the world to be certified to the Aboriginal Aquaculture Association's Aboriginal Principles for Sustainable Aquaculture standard and the Global Aquaculture Alliance's (GAA) Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) new standards for farmed salmon. Mainstream Canada operates under some of the strictest regulations in the world that govern the aquaculture industry. There are currently 73 pieces of federal and provincial legislation that regulate every aspect of its business, from environmental protection to fish health to food inspection for human consumption, the company told. Canada is also a signatory or member to several different international agreements or organizations which affect aquaculture. Mainstream Canada's focus is on sustainable aquaculture. Its employees are proud of its reputation for producing quality salmon, and its respect for the local environment and the communities in which it operates, the firm communicated. Mainstream stresses that while healthy debate on issues is a vital part of healthy communities, false and injurious statements are detrimental to these values and harmful to the interests of a free and democratic society. And affirmed that its legal arguments will show that the damaging allegations published by the activist are malicious and unsupported by facts or fairness.
Website Launch: Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture Http://www.salmonfarmingkills.com
Thank you for helping with Don Staniford’s mounting legal fees http://www.wildsalmonfirst.org/ Owners of the four British Columbia lodges featured below absolutely understand that the outcome of the legal action by Cermaq/Mainstream Canada (open pen Atlantic salmon feedlot industry) against Mr. Don Staniford will directly impact their businesses forever. This is why they’ve boldly joined other organizations and individuals by financially contributing to Don’s legal fund.
http://www.steelheadvalhallalodge.com
http://sustutriver.com
http://www.lowerdean.com
http://www.sweetwatertravel.com
Wild Game Fish Conservation International thanks Lower Dean River Lodge, Steelhead Valhalla Lodge, Suskeena Lodge and Sweetwater Travel Company for their very generous support.
Attention Conservation-minded Business Owners Many businesses around planet earth rely in part on sustained populations of wild game fish. This is true for fishing guide/charter services, resort and hotel owners, fishing tackle and boat retail stores, clothing stores, eco/photo tours, grocery stores, gas stations and many more. In fact, wild game fish are the backbone of a multi-billion dollar per year industry on a global scale. This is why we at Wild Game Fish Conservation International offer complimentary space in each issue of “LEGACY” for business owners who rely on sustained wild game fish populations to sustain your business. An article with one or more photos about your business and how it relies on wild game fish may be submitted for publication to LEGACY PUBLISHER. Please include your business website and contact information to be published with your business article. Selected submissions will be published each month. Sustained wild game fish populations provide family wage jobs and balanced ecosystems while ensuring cultural values. They also provide a unique, natural resourcesbased lifestyle for those fortunate to have these magnificent creatures in our lives. Conservationists working together with the business community can effectively protect and restore planet earth‟s wild game fish for this and future generations to enjoy and appreciate. This will be our LEGACY.
WGFCI endorsed conservation organizations American Rivers Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture Salmon Are Sacred Save Our Salmon Sierra Club – Cascade Chapter Sportsman‟s Alliance For Alaska Trout Unlimited
Wild Salmon First