Morton Getting Sued

Interesting. Thanks for this BearCove. In the article it states: "The group is also accused of flying a drone and diving at one facility, putting an object in the water at another and ignoring Marine Harvest's instruction to leave." Accused by whom?? Asked by whom and under what authority??

It's hard for me to grapple with the arrogance of that perspective from the fish farm PR team. Somehow they think they own the air and the water. If Morton took a step on the floats w/o permission - that's private property. That could be trespass. The fish farm companies do not own the water nor the air columns, however - even if they are belligerent and arrogant enough to think so. What a bunch ....

After reading their submitted civil claims - I think this one will blow-up in their faces.

They claim "biosecurity" concerns, and the Lands Act. Great! About time there was case law developed about claimed "biosecurity" concerns - esp. when dealing with stocking diseased fish in open net-pens. That' quite a bit bigger "biosecurity" concern than Morton's hull.

Also - the Lands Act is quoted. It does apply wrt facilities - certainly not wrt the water or air columns. It is also provincial, while navigation is federal. Ultra vires.

Then they quote that Morton allegedly disrupted their use and enjoyment of their tenure. ok - driving wild stocks down disrupts everyone else s "use and enjoyment" of their property, too.

This could turn-out to be interesting...
 
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No matter where we are in our thinking ..
As of "now" these farms are operating legally.

These farm sites are also the personal homes of the employees for more than half of their working lives..usually 8 on-6 off shifts.

I can tell you if I had protesters come in to the facility that I work , the police would have been called and the protesters would have been charged on the spot..what makes the fish farms any different?

I hope they get prosecuted to the fullest..there are other ways to make your point.
 
I remember reading that she sold almost everything she owned in anticipation of this kind of bullying-in Chile the same sort of disgusting intimidation is common as corporations actively try to wreck the lives of anyone opposed to their environmental destruction.

As to the people who defend the actions of corporate swine the less said the better.
 
As of "now" these farms are operating legally.
wrt the inadequate and non-existent environmental assessment - and tenure (provincial) and DFO licence (federal) - yes. wrt hereditary law - doesnt appear so.
These farm sites are also the personal homes of the employees for more than half of their working lives..usually 8 on-6 off shifts.
Agreed - and it was belligerent of Morton and SSS to disrupt their quiet lifestyle - not illegal, though.
I can tell you if I had protesters come in to the facility that I work , the police would have been called and the protesters would have been charged on the spot..what makes the fish farms any different?
They float - on a federal water column. The "lease" is for the bottom, only. Navigation is a federally-protected right - and also based in British Common Law. That's the difference.
I hope they get prosecuted to the fullest..there are other ways to make your point
I agree that everyone should be accountable for their actions. However, trespass is a CRIMINAL - not a CIVIL charge - and Morton was charged CIVILLY - and not with criminal trespass.

Instead she was charged in a civil court with disrupting their use and enjoyment of their property instead. Obviously, if one is looking at generating negative and competing PR messaging and slapping back an annoying demonstrator - I would think a criminal charge would be at least - if not more effective.

But - so far - no criminal charges. Why not? Not enough evidence? I find that somehow strange.
 
.... so far - no criminal charges. Why not? Not enough evidence? I find that somehow strange.
Yes there might be a lower burden of proof for civil charges which makes the blatant corporate harassment that much more obvious-these people aren't subtle.
 
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why didn't they charge members of the Musgamagw Dzawada'enuxw ?
I bet I can think why... this could get really interesting if she was invited there by their tribe...
Marine Harvest may have opened up a larger can of words than what they would have liked...
 
The truth hurts when you read and see what she has found out about fish farms ,I had a heated talk with present of bc wildlife federation at the time ,he said to me she is just looking for I job.i used to get all her papers and report what she was doing ,it was very sad to see under the net pens all dead nothing living under them,and if the net pens are so good why are they not in there country , show the people how good they are than,it is time they stand up before it is to late
 
Wayne what truths has she founded?
Why is ok for the logging industry to pollute the ocean floor with hundreds of log dumps sites up and down the coast? Why do you jump on one industry but not the rest?
 
What about Victoria poo going in the sea there for years ,why they put them on dry land they said it is to costly,I asked alot of people how come they are not doing this in there country , it is just very sad it see the fish stocks going down on the paths of there net pens,more than 5 sea lice on the salmon fry they are gone,I did salmon fry saving for 15 years on one small creek it does help ,if you like numbers my dad is 79 now way before the weir was made the salmon and trout stocks starting going down
 
The truth hurts when you read and see what she has found out about fish farms ,I had a heated talk with present of bc wildlife federation at the time ,he said to me she is just looking for I job.i used to get all her papers and report what she was doing ,it was very sad to see under the net pens all dead nothing living under them,and if the net pens are so good why are they not in there country , show the people how good they are than,it is time they stand up before it is to late

That was interesting comments from BC wildlife fed and I never heard that. I find it completely opposite from those I spoke too. Most are not supportive for anything that could have the possibility of affecting wild fish population. As for suing good on her for standing up for what she believes. Too many don't. But she wasn't alone?

Like what was said why isn't the FN included in the lawsuit? The problem I have with all these project from LNG to fish farms etc. is industry continually denounces anyone that holds anything against the idea/project as unqualified. I have watched this over and over with various industrial projects across the province. It doesn't matter if person hold a PHD they somehow dont know what they are talking about. Same comments from industry" you just don't want it in your backyard ", and " you hate development". No its just some are questioning their placement. Which in all honesty is fair thing.

Fish farms need to be land, and its time for the government to support this isn't working and start to help these companies put them on land. We can't say get out of here without a plan. I believe if the government was smart it would really think wisely. Would you spend millions of dollars on LNG where it can impact salmon habitat directly where you don't even have a market demand? Or would you take fish farms off the ocean on the land to employ communities where the demand is high for that product? The North island has already proved that you can have land based farm and is working on cost reductions.

I would be fully supportive of the farms on land, but not as they are.
 
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Wayne what truths has she founded?
Why is ok for the logging industry to pollute the ocean floor with hundreds of log dumps sites up and down the coast? Why do you jump on one industry but not the rest?

who said it was ok? interesting response that if one industry does something wrong then it must be OK for another industry to do something wrong also... classic deflection. I don't think the logging industry has anything to do with sea lice or infectious disease. and i don't remember ever reading about trees eating wild salmon smolts or wild herring.
we've also cut down way too much old growth and have logged (clearcut) river valleys to the edge of those rivers. so does that mean it's OK to allow these farms, their diseases, and all the problems that go with them? interesting thinking for sure.. Up in rupert I see trees being heli'd directly onto barges so in every industry there are better ways to go about doing things. but some industries would rather use the environment as their cesspool... because it's easier and cheaper.. more profit for their shareholders at the taxpayers and public expense.
 
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so its ok for one industry to pollute the same waters because they cleaned up there act compared to old practices?
 
no, it isn't bones.
2 wrongs don't make a right.
 
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