Hundreds of protected areas are under pressure from Scotland’s massive deer herd. Most agree deer numbers must be controlled to protect the environment, but are split on what should be done.
Edinburgh University students were “interrogated” by police at their desks over posters featuring Palestinians killed by the Israeli military, prompting dozens to complain.
Unsafe levels of faecal bacteria were recorded at dozens of Scotland’s best beaches this summer. Swimmers and paddlers could be at risk, but officials insist water quality remains high.
A group campaigning for freedom of expression has condemned multinationals for “years of legal threats” against an activist who spotlights environmental and animal welfare issues caused by industrial salmon farming.
Index On Censorship called for “public interest speech” to be protected after it emerged that a court had banned Don Staniford – who has been campaigning for two decades – from some fish farms in Scotland.
In his latest legal battle, anti fish-farm activist Staniford told Oban Sheriff Court this month he would stay away permanently from property owned by Scottish Sea Farms (SSF) after the company took action against him.
The salmon firm argued that Staniford’s incursions on to fish farms are unlawful, and that his conduct poses a risk to the safety and wellbeing of the company’s staff.
The activist, however, claims the bans imposed are effectively SLAPPs – strategic lawsuits against public participation – preventing him revealing what he regards as the truth about fish farming.
At Oban Sheriff Court, Staniford agreed that he or anyone working for him would “refrain from boarding, entering onto, physically occupying, attaching himself to, attaching vessels to, trespassing upon, all structures, docks, walkways, buildings, yards, floats, vessels, boats, or pens of aquaculture sites of the pursuer [SSF].”
The campaigner is now banned from properties belonging to Scotland’s two biggest salmon farmers, SSF and Mowi – a Norwegian multinational which successfully obtained an injunction to ban Staniford from climbing onto its salmon pens.
Mowi also tried to ban him, but failed, from coming within 15 metres of its property and flying drones over its farms. The three-year legal battle with Mowi left Staniford with a bill of reportedly £82,761 to cover the firm’s legal costs.
Staniford has been opposing salmon farming for more than 20 years. A high profile activist who covertly enters fish farms to film, he regularly posts photos and videos of diseased and dying fish in fish farm pens online.
He was accused by Mowi of distorting the truth, by allegedly editing together images in a way that makes the pens look worse than they are.
Nik Williams, policy and campaigns office at Index on Censorship, said Staniford has “endured years of legal threats and actions” based on his “public interest campaigning” focused on one of Scotland’s “most influential” industries.
He added: “No industry should be exempt from scrutiny. We are awaiting the Scottish Government’s response to the public consultation on SLAPPs that closed earlier this year, and this demonstrates the need for urgent and robust action against the legal actions that restrict public interest speech.”
Staniford said: “It was a bad day in Oban Sheriff Court. The ban is much wider than the interdict won last year by Norwegian giant Mowi in that it also includes land bases.”
A legal firm which represented SSF, is now seeking an interdict (injunction) for Bakkafrost Scotland – a Faroese-owned salmon farmer operating in Scotland – at a hearing on 24 September at Dunoon Sheriff Court.
Mowi, Scottish Sea Farms and Bakkafrost Scotland, were asked to comment.
Main image: iStock and Tero Vesalainen – Second image: Lauren Fair
Hundreds of protected areas are under pressure from Scotland’s massive deer herd. Most agree deer numbers must be controlled to protect the environment, but are split on what should be done.
Edinburgh University students were “interrogated” by police at their desks over posters featuring Palestinians killed by the Israeli military, prompting dozens to complain.
Unsafe levels of faecal bacteria were recorded at dozens of Scotland’s best beaches this summer. Swimmers and paddlers could be at risk, but officials insist water quality remains high.
Footage of farmed trout suffocating, haemorrhaging, and being beaten with batons in a slaughterhouse has prompted an official complaint to a government regulator.
