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KAFN urge Cermaq to embrace the spirit and intent of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - Environmental Communication Options/Huff Strategy

KAFN urge Cermaq to embrace the spirit and intent of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

May 19th, 2009 11:23 AM

Media Release First Nations leaders confront Norway's hypocrisy KAFN urge Cermaq to embrace the spirit and intent of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Oslo, Norway - May 19, 2009) First Nations leaders, and Alexandra Morton from the Broughton Archipelago, are in Norway this week. The will meet with MPs in the Norwegian Parliament (Storting), representatives of the Sami people of Norway, financial analysts, scientists and Cermaq (Mainstream) shareholders. Speaking prior to Cermaq's Annual General Meeting in Oslo (1pm Norwegian time on Wednesday 20th May), Chief Bob Chamberlin (Chairman of the Musgamagw-Tsawataineuk Tribal Council) said: "Cermaq, as a Norwegian-owned company, is not conducting business in the Broughton Archipelago consistent with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that the Norwegian Government signed onto in 2007 [1]. We have come here to Norway to expose the double standard of Cermaq's operations in relation to wild salmon impacts. By ignoring peer-reviewed science, Cermaq is being trigger-happy in Russian roulette with our peoples' wild salmon stocks". Chief Robert Joseph, hereditary chief of the Kwicksutaineuk Ah-kwa-mish First Nation, added: "The demise of wild salmon is tantamount to genocide because it reflects the demise of our culture, way of life and spirituality. Since the advent of salmon farming in our territories we have seen an apocalyptic decline in the state of our wild salmon stocks in the Broughton Archipelago. And because Norway is the world leader in salmon farming and the Norwegian Government is the leading shareholder in Cermaq we are asking for their moral leadership to bring about best practices and to mitigate environmental degradation". Alexandra Morton, director of the Salmon Coast Field Station in the Broughton Archipelago, remarked: "In light of actions taken to protect the wild salmon in Norway and numerous studies documenting Norwegian fish farms damaging Canadian ecosystems, why are the people of Norway standing by while these publicly supported Norwegian corporations export their catastrophic industry around the world? As a biologist, I see solutions, but the Norwegian salmon farming industry refuses to take responsibility and remove these industrial sites from the most valuable wild salmon habitat in Canada. It's still not too late to stop the collapse of wild salmon and social decay here in western Canada. But to do so, it will take the efforts of concerned citizens working across borders, to make it clear to the Norwegian government that salmon farms must not destroy the wild salmon arteries flowing into the coast of British Columbia." [1]: http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/aid/Topics/Sami-policy/international-efforts-in-relation-to-ind/the-un-declaration-on-the-rights-of-indi.html?id=87024 -30- To contact Chief Chamberlin, Chief Joseph and Alexandra Morton in Norway please ring: +44 7872 249276.