Bakkafrost Scotland renews court bid to ban activist from farms

Salmon farmer Bakkafrost Scotland will seek a court order on Monday to prevent activist Don Staniford making unauthorised visits to its sites and property, and “instructing, procuring, or facilitating others to so act in his stead”.

Staniford is opposing the motion at Dunoon Sheriff Court, part of the Sheriffdom of North Strathclyde.

Scotland’s biggest salmon farmer, Mowi, has won a perpetual interdict (injunction) against Staniford that prevents him from trespassing on its shore bases or stepping on to the walkways of marine pens.

The veteran anti-salmon farming campaigner has also given an undertaking to a court that he won’t visit Scottish Sea Farms’ sites until that company’s application for an interdict against him is heard. That case has been sisted (postponed) until after Staniford’s second appeal against the Mowi interdict is heard, probably in November.

Unauthorised visits

Bakkafrost had sisted its own application for an interdict but has reactivated the case in the light of unauthorised visits made by Staniford to its farms in August.

In a letter to Staniford’s solicitors, R & R Urquhart, of Forres, Moray, last Friday, Bakkafrost’s legal representatives Shepherd and Wedderburn, cited instances of Staniford:

• aboard a Bakkfrost boat and kayaking within the leased area of a farm in June,
• on the walkway of a pen at the Isle of Gigha in July,
• at Loch Shieldaig / Loch Torridon in August
• filming inside mort bins in September

Each of the incidents was recorded and broadcast on social media by Staniford.

Reasonable apprehension

“Our client was reasonably apprehensive that Mr Staniford would focus his attention on its sites given the perpetual interdict obtained by Mowi Scotland, and the undertaking that Mr Staniford gave to the court in Scottish Sea Farms’ case,” wrote Shepherd and Wedderburn.

“The withdrawal by your client of the offer of an undertaking (to stay away from Bakkafrost farms) before the pre-service hearing on 19 December 2023 only added to our client’s reasonable apprehension.”

The legal firm added that it was clear that Bakkafrost's apprehension was correct.

“Your client has demonstrated a pattern of behaviour over a period of several years and has continued to do so in spite of the current court proceedings, and our client remains reasonably apprehensive that your client will continue to unlawfully access its sites unless prohibited from doing so.”

Shepherd and Wedderburn said that if Staniford didn’t promise by September 20 that he would stay away from Bakkafrost Scotland property, the salmon farmer would renew its efforts for an interdict, which it has now done.