Support for the ‘March
for Wild Salmon’ is building in both the Atlantic and Pacific with events
taking place tomorrow (1 March) in Oslo
and Vancouver
and on Saturday (2 March) in Galway. ‘March for Wild Salmon’ is a month-long series
of events with peaceful protests also planned in Bergen (6 March)
and Edinburgh (30 March) before closing on 31 March with a global vigil for
wild salmon. The message
from First Nations, fishermen and wild salmon advocates in Ireland, Iceland,
Scotland, Denmark, Germany, the United States, Canada and Norway is loud and clear:
Stop Norwegian Fish Farms Killing Wild Salmon!
Download the press release from Wild Salmon First (28 February) as a PDF online here
In Oslo, Norway, Wild Salmon First! will deliver the ‘United Declaration for Wild Salmon’ to the King of Norway, the Norwegian Parliament, the
Canadian Embassy in Norway, the Norwegian Ministry of Trade & Industry and
Cermaq (1 March). In Vancouver, Canada,
the Indigenous Salmon Defenders will lead the ‘March for Wild
Salmon – Idle No More!’ rally outside the
Department of Fisheries & Oceans (1 March). In Ireland, Galway Bay Against Salmon
Cages will lead a protest march against the Irish
Government’s plans for a 15,000 tonne super-size salmon farm (2 March).
“Stop Norwegian fish farms
killing wild salmon,” is the message from Elena Edwards,
founder of Wild Salmon
First!, who is leading the ‘March for Wild Salmon’ in Oslo. “As a
symbol of the international opposition to salmon farming we will be delivering
the ‘United
Declaration for Wild Salmon’ signed by First Nations leaders, fishermen and
Fin Donnelly, MP in Canada, to the Norwegian Parliament and the King of
Norway.
Solidarity for wild salmon is making waves in Canada, Norway,
Scotland and Ireland – wherever there are fish farms compromising the future of
wild salmon, people are uniting to get the fish farms out. Wherever you are please flood the inboxes of the
Norwegian companies who are compromising wild salmon to death. We must
place wild salmon first – there can be no compromise in defense of wild
salmon!”
“Wild salmon need to be protected from disease-ridden salmon
farms,” said Orri Vigfússon
of the North Atlantic Salmon Fund
in Iceland who is attending the event in Galway on Saturday (2 March).
“Ireland, Iceland, Scotland, Norway and Canada must unite to fight the
expansion of salmon farming in both the Atlantic and Pacific. We must
move farms off wild salmon migration routes before it is too late.”
“The Irish Government, along with various commercial interests,
have misguided plans to vastly increase the number of salmon farms around the
coast of this island,” said Damien
O'Brien of No Salmon Farms at Sea. “No
Salmon Farms At Sea (NSFAS) are vehemently opposed to any such development
taking place and are determined to stop this madness. We are asking all right thinking people to
support the people of Galway in their day of protest on the 2nd of March to
help stop the catastrophic plans for Galway Bay. NSFAS will march in solidarity with others on
the day and wish all those conducting similar protests in Norway and Canada
every success. To stand by and do nothing
is not an option!”
Watch more via “Fish Farms: Nothing But A
Dirty Industry” and “Feck
Off! to Fish Farms in Galway Bay”
“The Norwegian company Marine Harvest – who control over 60%
of Irish salmon farming production – is infested with sea lice and is spreading
Amoebic Gill Disease around Ireland's coastline,” said Tony Lowes of Friends of the Irish
Environment. “Now there are plans
for a 15,000 tonne super-size salmon farm in Galway Bay which would double
salmon farming production. The message to Marine Harvest in Norway is
simple: NO WAY!”
“We ask as many people and families as possible to turn up for the event
and show the Government that Galway Bay is not for sale to salmon farmers –
most likely multi-nationals,” said Michael Canny of Galway Bay Against
Salmon Cages. “It is our Bay and it is our duty to protect it, not
alone for ourselves but for our children’s children and beyond. We need a very
strong show of unity on the 2nd March. Come along and show the Government that we
care for Galway Bay.”
Download the poster for Saturday's event in Galway online here
Read the Irish Government's shameless advert promoting the farm – online here
“If people want
wild salmon then they must all stand up and be counted,” said Don Staniford of GAAIA who will be joining the March
for Wild Salmon in Oslo
along with fishermen from Denmark and Norway.
“The weight of scientific evidence from around the world screams that healthy
wild salmon populations and diseased salmon feedlots are incompatible. Consumers must send a signal to supermarkets
that lice-infested and disease-ridden farmed salmon is unacceptable. A consumer boycott is the only sure-fire way
of stopping salmon feedlots from killing off the King of Fish. Hear the call of the wild salmon!”
Watch a video report from outside the Norwegian Embassy in Dublin,
Ireland, online here
For more details please visit: www.wildsalmonfirst.org
For photos please visit online
here
Download photo collages online
here and online
here
Read the schedule for the Oslo event on 1 March online
here
Read the schedule for the Vancouver event on 1 March online here
and listen to an interview with the Indigenous Salmon Defenders online
here
For more details on the Galway event on 2 March visit online here and online
here
Read more via “From
Canada to Norway: March for Wild Salmon!”
Download the press release from Wild Salmon First (28 February) as a PDF online here