Canada - Stop Deportation of Don Staniford

Canada - Stop Deportation of Don Staniford

Target: Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Government of Canada, pm@pm.gc.ca

Sponsored by: Salmon Are Sacred

B.C.-based activist Don Staniford is being sued by Mainstream Canada, B.C.'s second largest farmed-salmon produce.Mainstream Canada, which is owned by the multinational Norwegian parent company Cermaq, whose largest shareholder is the Norwegian Government, alleges that Staniford has used "defamatory and false statements" intended to damage the salmon-fishing industry. On January 16th the defamation trial began in the Supreme Court of British Columbia and is scheduled for 20 days (until 10th February). At noon on the first day of the trial Mr.Staniford was met by the police and the Canadian Border Services Agency and advised he would be deported from Canada following the trial (February 29th). It appears Mr. Staniford has upset the Canadian Government by speaking up against environmentally harmful industrial salmon farming practices and the potential health impacts on humans consuming farmed salmon. This follows on the revelations earlier this month that the Canadian Government has labelled First Nations and environmental non-goverment organizations as "adversaries of the government" in an attempt to muzzle free speech and democratic rights, particularly those advocating for social and environmental justice. http://forestethics.org/press-release-forestethics-launches-petition--website--wewillnotbesilencedca--calling-on-canadians-to-stand-up-to-prime-ministers-threats-to-civil-society Please help us tell the Canadian Government that speaking up for the environment is no good reason for deportation from this country.