Mainstream Canada begins legal proceedings against Mr. Don Staniford
Mainstream Canada has begun legal proceedings against Mr. Don Staniford and his organization The Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture, for defamatory statements that have been made regarding the company's fish farming operations. Mainstream views his statements as false, misleading and intended to harm the company.
The statements made by Mr. Staniford (illustrations below) are a direct attack on Mainstream Canada and parent company Cermaq's reputations as responsible corporate citizens whose primary goal is to harvest fish in a manner that is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.
Source: http://www.gaaia.org/press-releases
Mainstream Canada views the statements made by Mr. Staniford to be false, misleading and an affront to the many individuals and communities who rely on fish farming as a means of supporting themselves.
"We have a responsibility to our employees," says Fernando Villarroel, Mainstream Canada's Managing Director. "For a number of years certain environmental activists have been attacking our company and the industry with false and misleading statements. Our employees are working hard every day ensuring responsible aquaculture. We adhere to the strict regulations and our company's best management practices. Comparing fish farming with cancer is an offence to all our employees".
It is through this commitment by our employees that Mainstream Canada has achieved 3rd party International Standards (ISO) certification in three distinct areas; salmon farming operations, quality management systems and occupational health and safety assessment.
Mainstream Canada also operates under some of the strictest regulations in the world that govern the aquaculture industry. There are currently 73 pieces of federal and provincial legislation that regulate every aspect of the business, from environmental protection to fish health to food inspection for human consumption.
Statements made by Mr. Staniford have gone beyond logic and defy the conclusions of many well respected researchers and third party experts who have documented and reported on fish farming practices and their impact on individuals, the environment or other industries.
Mr. Staniford's intention seems to be to frighten and convince consumers to turn away from eating farmed salmon. Contrary to his statements, the health benefits of eating fat fish like salmon are broadly encouraged. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least two times (two servings) a week.
It is with this in mind that Mainstream Canada has undertaken this action. "Not only do we see this as necessary to protect our reputation," says Laurie Jensen, Mainstream Canada's Corporate Sustainability Manager, "but an obligation to ensure that our employees, our suppliers, the communities where we operate, and our First Nations partners will have the future basis for continued sustainable operations without interference from libelous statements by individuals or organizations such as Mr. Staniford‘s."
Mainstream Canada is the second largest aquaculture company in BC. With a Head Office is located in Campbell River, BC. it operates three hatcheries, 27 Sea sites and two processing plants (1 contracted) in the Campbell River, Tofino and Broughton areas. Mainstream Canada has achieved full 3rd party certification in the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Standard, ISO 9001 Quality Management System Standard and Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. This includes all their B.C. operations, including marine salmon production sites, fish hatcheries, fish processing plant in Tofino and administrative offices in Campbell River and Tofino. Mainstream Canada is part of Cermaq, an international group of companies with activities in fish farming, production of salmonid feed and research in aquaculture. Cermaq has operations in Norway, Chile, Canada and Scotland, the main geographic regions for salmon and trout farming. Through its business unit EWOS, Cermaq ranks as the world's second largest producer of feed for salmonids. The business unit Mainstream is one of the world's leading farming companies of salmon and trout.
