Gridlock forces activist to miss first target on anti-salmon road trip

An anti-salmon farming activist’s week-long road trip to highlight his grievances against the sector got off to a late start today after London traffic scuppered his plan to visit a retailer’s head office at 8am.

Don Staniford is visiting supermarkets and other locations in England and Scotland in what he calls his “digivan” which features videos of sick or injured salmon in pens, usually filmed before farm staff have arrived to attend to any moribund fish.

The first location on his itinerary was the Marks & Spencer head office in London, but he wasn’t able to get there.

“London was gridlocked so we’re starting at the RSPCA head office in Horsham this morning. We will take three days next month to do London,” Staniford told Fish Farming Expert.

'So much for the hype!'

Staniford’s non-appearance was a disappointment for salmon farming blogger Martin Jaffa, who was waiting for the activist’s arrival. Jaffa regularly challenges claims about the sector made by its opponents but says they never accept his offers to debate the issue face to face.

“Don Staniford was supposed to kick off his ‘End Salmon Farming’ Digivan tour with a visit to M&S headquarters in Paddington at 8 am on the 31st,” said Jaffa.

“I was outside the building from 7.45 as I wanted to challenge Mr Staniford to his face about the accuracy of his many claims. However, he was a no show. I waited for an hour but not a sign of Mr Staniford or his Digivan. So much for all his hype!”

Staniford, who was recently banned by a Scottish court from going within 15 metres of the farms and property of the country’s biggest salmon farmer, Mowi, is critical of retailers who stock salmon, and of welfare organisations that operate fish farming certification programmes.

His road trip – traffic permitting - includes a visit to the Bristol head office of the Soil Association, which certifies organic salmon, tomorrow, and ends at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh on Monday, November 6.