Caught on Camera – How the Go Pro Dealt the Death Blow to Salmon Farming

 

 

 

When Alexandra Morton pioneered secret filming inside salmon farms in 2016 I'd never even heard of a Go Pro camera – now five years later the Go Pro has dealt salmon farming the death blow in Canada and turned the tide against the disease-ridden industry in Scotland and Iceland.    Alexandra Morton's 'Hard Evidence' was difficult to ignore when it was published in August 2016:

 

 

 

 

 

Midsumer Nov 12 open soresm

 

Midsumer Nov 12 open soresm

 

 

Midsumer Nov 12 emaciated

 

 

Midsummer Nov 12 deformed

 

Open sore Mid Nov 10sm

 

 

Terminator fish

 

 

 

Further filming inside salmon farms published by Sea Shepherd Society in 2017 shocked the world:

 

 

 

Video blog Oct 2021 #1

 

Video blog Oct 2021 #2

 

 

 

Filming by Ernest Alfred and George Quocksister inside salmon farms across British Columbia in 2017 made waves in the global press and on social media. 

 

 

 

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In October 2017, CTV News broadcast horrific video footage shot inside salmon farms in British Columbia:

 

 

 

 

In 2017, Swedish film-maker Mikael Frödin swam out to a Grieg owned salmon farm in Altafjord armed with a Go Pro on an extendable pole.

 

 

 

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His shocking footage of lice damage and welfare abuse was broadcast in 2018 on Swedish TV and on Norwegian TV.

 

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"They're all sick, look at them," said Frödin as he filmed inside the Grieg salmon farm:

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Frödin's footage featured in the 2019 film 'Artifishal'.

 

 

 

 

 

In Scotland, Inside Scottish Salmon Feedlots (Corin Smith) and Scottish Salmon Watch both started secret filming inside salmon farms in the Summer of 2018 (independently and initially unknown to each other).   Gruesome video footage shot by Corin Smith inside a salmon farm in Loch Roag in August 2018 was broadcast by the BBC One Show and The Ferret in September 2018:

 

Corin photo One Show iPlayer bigger

 

 

 

 

Daily Mail Suffering Salmon 5 September 2018 #1

 

 

 

 

In 2019, Sea Shepherd Society published further video footage gathered by Go Pro cameras inserted into salmon farms in British Columbia – including by Pamela Anderson – which has helped turn the tide of public opinion and government policy against salmon farming:

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Scotland, STV News and The Ferret broadcast video footage filmed by Scottish Salmon Watch inside a salmon farm operated by The Scottish Salmon Company in Loch Shieldaig in June 2019.

 

STV June 2019

 

 

 

 

STV News 19 June 2019 TV version #5

 

 

 

In May 2019, BBC Panorama broadcast video footage shot inside and under salmon farms in Scotland (as well as wild salmon near salmon farms infested with lice).

 

 

 

In December 2020, BBC Countryfile exposed lice-infested and RSPCA Assured Scottish Sea Farms in Loch Creran (a 'Special Area of Conservation'):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In May 2021, Italian TV used video footage shot inside farms to expose the underbelly of Scottish salmon on prime time:

 

Italian TV May 2021 #CIWF

 

Italian TV May 2021 #5 Grieg

 

 

 

The watershed moment for secret filming inside salmon farms came when 'Seaspiracy' was first aired on Netflix in March 2021 – with video footage shot by Corin Smith inside The Scottish Salmon Company's lice-infested salmon farm in Loch Roag featured for millions around the world to watch in horror.  

 

 

 

 

The Sun reported (30 March 2021):

 

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'Seaspiracy' quite literally lifted the lid on disease-ridden Scottish salmon when they climbed up a skip full of dead salmon at Mowi's RSPCA Assured and ASC-certified salmon farm at Gorsten in Loch Linnhe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Video footage shot inside nearly two dozen salmon farms across Scotland was published by Compassion in World Farming in March 2021 – the whole world was now watching the horrors inside salmon farms.

 

 

CIWF USA

 

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When Seaspiracy published video footage shot inside Mowi's lice-infested RSPCA Assured salmon farms in July 2021 it racked up over one million views on Instagram:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patagonia Tweeted:

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, in Iceland secret filming inside salmon farms in August 2021 was turning up the heat against salmon farming yet further. 

 

 

 

 

Here's photos from the secret filming:

 

Iceland Against the Current Facebook post 11 August 2021 #1

 

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Iceland Against the Current Facebook post 11 August 2021 #4

 

 

 

 

 

The shocking video footage featured on Icelandic TV:

 

Iceland TV #1

 

 

And in Icelandic newspapers:

 

Iceland News #1

 

 

The secret filming was carried out by Veiga Grét­ars­dótt­ir who kayaks out to salmon farms:

 

Iceland News #2 Veiga

 

 

Follow Veiga on Facebook's 'Against the Current Iceland':

 

Iceland Against Current Facebook

 

 

Veiga posted an update on Facebook on 17 September 2021:

Veiga dead salmon Sept 2021 Facebook post

Veiga dead salmon Sept 2021 #1

 

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Veiga dead salmon Sept 2021 #3

 

 

 

 

In September 2021, on the back of secret filming in Iceland and Scotland, campaigners called for open net salmon cages to be closed down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Secret filming inside salmon and Steelhead trout farms in September 2021 exposed horrific welfare abuse and mass mortalities.

 

 

 

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Viewers can see more secret filming video footage in the Kate Winslet-narrated film 'Eating Our Way to Extinction' now streaming on Amazon, AppleTV, You Tube and iTunes:

 

Sunday Times 29 Aug 2021 Winslet film newspaper version #1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So five years after Alexandra Morton so bravely stuck her telescopic pole into the lice-infested waters of a salmon cage it is the Go Pro camera who has taken centre stage in the global battle against salmon farming. 

 

 

Pledge #1 Alexandra Morton scientist version

 

 

 

When I go into battle – armed with my trusty old Go Pro and £8.99p telescopic pole – it is the inspirational Alexandra Morton who has shown the way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I wish the rest of Canada or BC could see what we witnessed here today," said Millie Willie as she joined Alexandra Morton on one of her filming expeditions in 2016. 

 

Mollie Willie #2

 

 

 

"We need to step up now and do something.  This is really hard to take and I just wish that other people could see what I'm seeing.  We need to do something about these fish farms before it's too late."

 

Mollie Willie

 

 

In August 2016, Millie Willie (then a band councilor and now the newly elected Chief of the Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw First Nation) told the foreign-owned salmon farms they were trespassing on the unceded territory of her people.  "You're here illegally," she said.  "The next one will be an eviction notice if you don't get out, ok?  This is just the beginning."

 

Mollie Willie #3

 

 

"From what I could see from here made me absolutely sick," said Ernest Alfred.  "And I think the general public needs to know what's going on out here.  Disgusting". 

 

Mollie Willie #4

 

 

"They have no right to be here – they've never had persmission," said Millie Willie.  "If you will see what I see today you'll feel the same way – all of Canada would feel the same way."

 

 

 

 

Business in Vancouver reported in August 2016:

 

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In 2017, when First Nations occupied salmon farms in British Columbia the Go Pro camera was proudly displayed as one of their most powerful weapons.

 

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CBC News reported in August 2017:

 

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During the 'occupation' of salmon farms in 2017 and 2018, further video footage was captured by Go Pro cameras inside salmon farms – here's George Quocksister and Ernest Alfred armed with Go Pro cameras mounted on a fishing rod and a telescopic pole.

 

Occupy #5

 

 

 

"I felt really powerful with a mandate and a responsibility to report and show these images to people – my people, my families – that these fish are really sick," said Ernest Alfred in a video report published by Sea Shepherd Society in August 2017.    "These fish are polluting the environment that we call home.   The images that came out of that farm are horrifying."

 

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"After I got off the Noola farm I snuck off to the bow of the Martin Sheen and I just cried," said Ernest Alfred.  "I had this incredible sadness."

 

 

 

 

"From afar we could see the fish were sluggish and from the water and bottom samples we could see the area was really dirty," said the R/V Martin Sheen in a Facebook post in August 2017.  "The smell was pungent.  On the sight of such a tragedy in his territorial waterways Hereditary Chief George set foot on the salmon farm to document the condition of those fish living in the pens."

 

 

 

 

Go Pro photos #4

 

 

 

Fuelled by secret filming footage, now the tide is turning against salmon farming in Scotland with Salmon & Trout Conservation announcing a policy shift just this week against open net cage salmon farming.

 

 

 

 

And a boycott of Scottish salmon – 99.9% of 'Scottish' salmon on sale in supermarkets is farmed not wild – is gathering momentum across the UK.

 

 

 

 

In British Columbia, fuelled by shocking video footage and the power of First Nations occupying salmon farms, open net cages are dead in the water with a phase out by 2025 championed by the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. 

 

Occupy #9

 

Occupy #7

 

Occupy #8

 

 

'Global Salmon Farming Resistance' is here to stay. 

 

 

 

And the global boycott of farmed salmon will never go away!

 

Sea Shepherd foursome

 

Pledge #25 Ernest Alfred

 

 

 

 

 

Read more via:

Video Nasties of Dead Farmed Salmon Pile Up All Over the World!

Backgrounder: Secret Filming Exposes the Welfare Nightmare of Factory Fish Farming

The Go Pro Camera Never Lies (Unlike Salmon Farmers)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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