Killing Farms
Killer Panda: WWF Eats $$$$s & Shoots Seals!
The Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture has written to WWF with the simple message:
Please withdraw your support for the slaughter of marine mammals (including pregnant seals and protected sea lions) by salmon farms.
Read the letter (9 July) to WWF online here
GAAIA’s ‘Salmon Farming Kills’ campaign is calling for a global boycott of all ‘seal unfriendly’ and ‘sea lion unfriendly’ farmed salmon – and that shamefully includes WWF-endorsed farmed salmon.
The ‘Final Standards for Responsible Salmon Aquaculture’ published by WWF in June 2012 specifically (and shockingly) promote the killing of marine mammals. By supporting the certification of farmed salmon via the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and lethal farmed salmon standards via the ‘Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue’, the ‘Killer Panda’ is effectively pulling the trigger and has blood on its paws.
"Not only is the killing of marine mammals by salmon farmers in Scotland, Chile, Canada, Ireland, Norway and other countries abhorrent in nature but it is also illegal under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)," wrote GAAIA's Don Staniford in the letter (9 July) addressed to WWF International's Director General James Leape. "In fact, a legal opinion obtained by your brother Gerry Leape stated that the U.S. MMPA “provides a strong and directly applicable legal tool”. Why is WWF ignoring the laws of nature as well as legal and public opinion by lending support to serial seal killers?"
"The promotion of seal and sea lion killing makes a mockery of WWF’s principles of nature conservation," continued Staniford. "What the f*** is WWF thinking giving the panda stamp of approval to salmon farms which are permitted to kill marine mammals?"
"The wholesale corruption of WWF’s founding principles is a kick in the teeth to WWF members who are under the mistaken impression that the iconic panda is a champion of wildlife protection," concluded Staniford.
"I am sure that many of WWF’s 5 million members will be shocked to discover that their donations are supporting the slaughter of pregnant and protected marine mammals in the name of ‘responsible’ and ‘environmental’ salmon farming. WWF’s ‘Killer Panda’ is effectively loading the bullets to shoot seals and sea lions. Please stop the certification of lethal salmon farms as “responsible” by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council. WWF’s support for the killing of marine mammals is irresponsible and can only bring the WWF global brand into further disrepute."
Read the letter in full online here
For more background read 'The Killing Farms' and see below!
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Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture, 28th June 2012
Scotland’s Seal Killers Named & Shamed!
- Ban on ‘Seal Unfriendly’ Farmed Salmon?
The shocking extent of seal killing by salmon farming companies across Scotland can be revealed for the first time following a FOI request. According to data supplied by Marine Scotland, over 300 seals were killed during 2011 and 2012 (up to April) by serial killers including Marine Harvest, Loch Duart, Scottish Seafarms (Leroy & Salmar), Meridian (Morpol), Hjaltland Seafarms (Grieg Seafood) and The Scottish Salmon Company.
The Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture (GAAIA) and Save Our Seals Fund (SOSF) are now calling on the U.S. Government to ban imports of farmed salmon and for retailers to stop sourcing from ‘seal unfriendly’ Scottish salmon farms.
“Scotland’s seal killers should hang their heads in shame and hang up their guns,” said Don Staniford of the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture (GAAIA). “Supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s and Tesco which condone the killing of seals by selling ‘seal-unfriendly’ farmed salmon have blood on the hands.”
John Robins, Secretary of Save Our Seals Fund in Scotland, said: “We have asked the U.S. Department of Commerce to use existing legislation to ban the import of Scottish farmed salmon. I hope the U.S. Government can force Scottish salmon farmers to install seal exclusion nets, something the Scottish Government and the RSPCA have disgracefully failed to do. When you buy Scottish farmed salmon, even RSPCA endorsed Scottish farmed salmon, you pay for bullets to shoot seals."
“Consumers, chefs and retailers should boycott all Scottish farmed salmon from companies who support a shoot to kill policy,” continued Staniford. “It is a sad state of affairs when trigger-happy salmon farmers refuse to pay for predator nets and resort to the rifle as a first not last resort. Scotland’s seals are paying a high price for cheap Scottish farmed salmon.”
Read more via "Scotland’s Seal Killers Named & Shamed!" - online here
Read a letter (28 June) to retailers asking if they source farmed salmon from killing farms - online here
Read correspondence with the U.S. Government calling for a ban on imports of farmed salmon - online here
Read correspondence with the Scottish Government including data on the number of seals killed by Marine Harvest, Loch Duart, Hjaltland Seafarms (Grieg), Meridian (Morpol), The Scottish Salmon Company and Scottish Seafarms - online here
Read an appeal (14 June) to the Scottish Information Commissioner asking for the names of sites where seals have been killed by salmon farmers - online here
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Salmon farming is a lethal industry - with hundreds of marine mammals killed by salmon farmers each year!
Read a letter/complaint to the U.S. Department of Commerce (October 2011) on the killing of seals and sea lions by salmon farms and a breach of the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act - download online here
Read a follow up letter from Save Our Seals Fund in March 2012 - online here
Please find enclosed below a press release (5th October 2011) from Animal Concern, Save Our Seals Fund and GAAIA and a press release (20th October 2011) from Save Our Seals Fund:
Animal Concern, Save Our Seals Fund & Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture
Farmed Salmon in Firing Line
- Complaint filed under U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act
Concerned citizens in Canada, Chile, Scotland, United Kingdom, USA and Switzerland today filed an official complaint with the U.S. Department of Commerce against the killing of seals and sea lions by salmon farms relating to a breach of the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act. The letter to Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, is signed by wildlife champions including Paul Watson, Alexandra Morton, Doug Tompkins, Ian McAllister, Mark Carter, Bonny Glambeck, Kurt Beardslee, Juan Carlos Cardenas, Elsa Cabrera, Anissa Reed and Wolfram Heise.
“Retailers, chefs and shoppers buying salmon from farms where seals and sea lions have been shot have blood on their hands,” said Don Staniford, global coordinator for the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture (GAAIA). “By killing marine mammals around the world, the salmon farming industry is shooting itself in the foot.”
“If you buy Scottish salmon you pay for bullets to shoot seals,” said John Robins, of Scottish animal rights group Animal Concern and the environmental charity Save Our Seals Fund. “We are calling on the public to boycott Scottish salmon and for the U.S. Government to ban imports of farmed salmon from ‘seal-unfriendly’ farms. The Scottish Government refuses to act against seal killing salmon farmers – perhaps the U.S. Government will be more decisive.”
The letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce (download in full online here) includes:
“In 2010, U.S. retailer Target announced that it would no longer sell farmed salmon from its stores. Until salmon farmers stop shooting seals and sea lions we urge other retailers to follow Target’s lead. Please don’t allow marine mammals to be used as a target for shooting practice."
"Based on the continued killing of marine mammals, we therefore ask that imports of farmed salmon from those countries and companies sponsoring and sanctioning lethal controls be excluded from the U.S. market. We ask that the U.S. send a strong signal that the killing of marine mammals will no longer be tolerated.”
Save Our Seals Fund, 20th October 2011
Scottish salmon farmers urged to follow lead of their Canadian counterparts.
Marine Harvest, one of the biggest producers of farmed salmon in Canada, has announced plans to protect stock in their Canadian fish cages by surrounding their farms with anti-predator nets. These nets will stop seals and other predators attacking the salmon and eliminate the need to shoot and kill the animals.
This announcement comes only days after an international coalition of animal welfare and marine conservation groups called on the American Government to ban the important of salmon from countries, including Scotland and Canada, where farmers are allowed to kill marine mammals. The U.S Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits the intentional killing of marine mammals in commercial fishing operations, including fish farms.
John Robins of the Scottish charity Save Our Seals Fund which was part of the coalition says; “For decades we have been trying to get Marine Harvest and other companies with salmon farms in Scotland to install exclusion nets to keep seals and other predators away from the salmon. Instead of backing our call the Scottish Government gave the fish farmer’s licenses to shoot nearly 1,300 seals a year. This could be the breakthrough we need. If Scottish fish farmers want to maintain access to the lucrative market in the United States they are going to have to follow the lead of Canadian salmon farmers and give up the cheap option of shooting seals and install and maintain proper anti-predator nets instead. If they can do it in Canada they can do it in Scotland and stop our seas running red with the blood of innocent seals.”
Don Staniford, coordinator for the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture, said:
"Marine Harvest have blood on their hands from the killing of marine mammals around the world. That Marine Harvest in Canada is now investing in new predator nets is due to the threat of a ban on imports of farmed salmon to the lucrative US market. For decades the industry has claimed that the shooting of marine mammals is a 'last resort' yet it is clear that it has been trigger-happy in picking up the gun before picking up the bill for costly predator nets. In the same way as consumers demanded 'dolphin-friendly tuna' we should be demanding salmon that is sourced only from farms which do not kill seals and sea lions. Until the industry stops the slaughter, consumers should boycott 'seal unfriendly' farmed salmon. Sadly, the only way to force change in this lethal industry is to hurt the companies in the pocket."
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EDITORS NOTES: John Robins is based near Glasgow and can be contacted on 01389 841111 and 07721-605521
Don Staniford is in Canada at present and best contacted on dstaniford@gaaia.org
This could have major implications for the Scottish salmon farming industry and stimulate renewed investment and new jobs manufacturing, installing and maintaining predator exclusion nets.
More information on our campaign which brought this about can be found at: http://www.wildsalmonfirst.org/boycott
A quick internet search will show that this decision by Marine Harvest has been well covered in the Canadian media:
"Salmon farm to spare predators with nets" (United Press International, 19th October): http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2011/10/19/Salmon-farm-to-spare-predators-with-nets/UPI-26321319037106/
"Salmon farm installs netting to limit need to shoot invading animals" (Vancouver Sun/Times Colonist, 19th October): http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Salmon+farm+installs+netting+limit+need+shoot+invading+animals/5572572/story.html
"$500,000 for two nets at farm sites" (The Courier-Islander, 18th October): http://www.vancouversun.com/business/nets+farm+sites/5572084/story.html
"U.S. urged to act over killing of marine mammals: Environmental activists from five countries are asking the U.S to ban imports of salmon from farms where marine mammals are killed" (The Times Colonist, 6th October): http://www.timescolonist.com/business/urged+over+killing+marine+mammals/5511054/story.html
