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

GAGGED: Faroese Government refuse to disclose information on Bakkafrost’s $10 million fine for welfare violations & pass buck onto @FaroesePolice
Why such secrecy? @Tinganes @Statsmin @kfriis @informeren @tweet_kvf @faroesenews @euidanmark @nordenen @FaroePodcast @denmarkdotdk pic.twitter.com/tyDbS1vgXb

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) May 30, 2024

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 <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 16 May 2024, 12:29
Subject: Freedom of Information request
To: <hfs@hfs.fo>

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:

https://www.intrafish.com/salmon/bakkafrost-family-ties-complicate-reversal-of-10-million-fine-for-alleged-animal-welfare-violations/2-1-1118645

The case was also reported by the Faroese media: https://donstaniford.com/bakkafrost-faroesenorwegian-owner-of-the-scottish-salmon-company-set-for-hefty-fine-in-the-faroes-/

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:

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

From: Jens Dam <JD@hfs.fo>
Date: Tue, May 28, 2024 at 5:32 PM
Subject: Aftursvar til Don Saniford 24/00715-9
To: Don Staniford <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>

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 | hfs@hfs.fo

HEILSUFRØÐILIGA STARVSSTOVAN

Faroese Food and Veterinary Authority

+298 556 400 | hfs@hfs.fo | 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 <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, May 30, 2024 at 6:59 PM
Subject: Re: Aftursvar til Don Saniford 24/00715-9
To: Jens Dam <JD@hfs.fo>

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 also Tweeted: https://x.com/TheGAAIA/status/1796238181794464109

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

Listen to a car crash of an interview with the head of the Faroese Food & Veterinary Authority as Bárður Enni denies knowledge of a $10 millon fine for salmon farming giant Bakkafrost. “I’m not aware of that – you must ask Bakkafrost….I don’t know what you’re talking about” pic.twitter.com/E7Ge0egiLC

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) May 30, 2024

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

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:

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:

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

Video Exclusive: Bakkafrost’s CEO blanks questions on a $10m fine for welfare violations & company policy on the grindadráp – then asks us to leave their head office in the Faroes. Please boycott blood salmon! @Tinganes @Faroes2EU @NFdep @tweet_kvf @faroesenews @NeptunesPirates pic.twitter.com/l8ICezUPKM

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) May 31, 2024

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

From: Don Staniford <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, May 28, 2024 at 7:01 AM
Subject: FOI request on Bakkafrost’s fine for welfare abuse
To: <politi@politi.fo>

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:

https://www.intrafish.com/salmon/bakkafrost-family-ties-complicate-reversal-of-10-million-fine-for-alleged-animal-welfare-violations/2-1-1118645

The case was also reported by the Faroese media: https://donstaniford.com/bakkafrost-faroesenorwegian-owner-of-the-scottish-salmon-company-set-for-hefty-fine-in-the-faroes-/

KVF published a TV report via: https://kvf.fo/netvarp/sv/2021/12/06/20211206skuldifaabota67millionir

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

Do you have any information on Bakkafrost’s $10 million fine for welfare abuse in their salmon farming operations in the Faroe Islands? https://t.co/Mi4KJNTlH0 @FaroesinLondon @tweet_kvf

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) May 30, 2024

From: Don Staniford <salmonfarmingkills@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, May 30, 2024 at 11:52 AM
Subject: FOI request re. Bakkafrost violations in the Faroe Islands
To: <email@fvst.dk>

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

Did you discuss welfare abuse inside salmon farms in the Faroe Islands? https://t.co/PvSIkWrjuZ pic.twitter.com/9htytsI7VG

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) May 30, 2024

How can @EU_Commission trade with the Faroe Islands when it supports the slaughter of whales & dolphins via the grindadráp & hides welfare abuse on salmon farms? https://t.co/NuO5RChXaK @vonderleyen Watch ‘Blood Salmon’ via https://t.co/PvSIkWrjuZ https://t.co/HvzGgfYC7X

— Don Staniford (@TheGAAIA) May 30, 2024