Norwegian Warrior Oddekalv Takes on Marine Harvest in Scotland!

Kurt Oddekalv, leader of the Green Warriors of Norway, arrived in Scotland last night (7 November) to kick off an inspection visit of Norwegian-owned salmon farms. Oddekalv will join Don Staniford of GAAIA and Elena Edwards of Wild Salmon First in addessing a public meeting tonight (8 November) on the Isle of Skye where locals are opposed to expansion plans by Marine Harvest (owned by Norwegian billionnaire John Fredriksen).

"Staniford and Oddekalv are unquestionably the global salmon aquaculture industry's boldest foes," wrote Damien Gillis in The Common Sense Canadian. "Both employ provocative tactics that consistently get under the industry's skin. Their partnership is the salmon activist equivalent of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro joining forces."

“There is a global backlash against Norwegian corporations farming salmon in
Canada, Chile, Scotland, Ireland, Norway and all over the world where Norwegian
farmed salmon is sold,” said Kurt
Oddekalv. “We must
all stand together to fight this disease ridden industry. Wild salmon warriors
of the world must unite and the Green Warriors of Norway will be leading the
way.”

Kurt Oddekalv is a Norwegian version of Sea Shepherd activist Paul Watson and his boat – the Eco-Queen – is very
much in the mould of Greenpeace's 'Rainbow Warrior'. The Norwegian media dubbed
Kurt Oddekalv 'James
Bond' when the Eco-Queen (complete with helipad and gadgets straight out of
the 007 films) was launched in 2006.

In March this year, the Office of the Auditor General of Norway issued a damning report condemning Norway's salmon farming industry for the spread of infectious diseaes, contaminated wastes, sea lice and escapes.

Read more via "Norway Fails Salmon Farm Audit"

“The
Auditor General’s report echoes what the Green Warriors have been arguing for
decades – that Norwegian salmon farming is unsustainable and a pollution hazard,”
said Oddekalv. “Consumers around the
world should rise up in protest against this filthy industry and boycott
Norwegian farmed salmon. This report is one more nail in the coffin of the
disease-ridden Norwegian salmon farming industry.”

“Green Warriors of the World must unite to fight the Norwegian
fish farming menace," said Staniford. "Norwegian-owned salmon farming is spreading infectious
diseases, genetic pollution and toxic wastes all over the globe as well as at
home in Norway. The salmon farming industry is an international embarrassment
to Norway.”

Read more via "Norway's Salmon Shame"

Locals are rising up against Marine Harvest's plans to expand on the Isle of Skye. The front page of the local newspaper, the West Highland Free Press (2 November), referred to "overwhelming opposition" at a public meeting in Sleat last week.

"At last Thursday’s meeting in Sabhal Mòr Ostaig 39 of those present
opposed the development, with two voting in favour and three
abstaining," reported the West Highland Free Press
(2 November). "Marine Harvest have lodged plans for a 12-pen site,
which they say will create seven new jobs in the area. But residents on
the Sleat side of the loch have expressed opposition — largely on
environmental grounds — and say they were not consulted on the
development."