Female aquaculture employees on Vancouver Island are reporting increased online harassment after polarized debates about Discovery Islands fish farm decision intensified on social media.
Campbell River based Katie Maxmick, a community relations specialist with Grieg Seafood BC started #enoughisenough after she saw younger colleagues facing the brunt of social media attacks which were alarmingly sexist.
Following the federal decision to phase out 19 Discovery Islands fish farms, aquaculture employees took to social media with #coastaljobsgone to express their dissatisfaction with the decision. This was met with counter debates from anti-fish farm groups.
An already divisive topic about salmon farming spiralled into heated debates and online fighting, said the 37-year-old Maximick.
B次元官网网址淲hat I and some of my other female colleagues noticed is that women were getting treated a little bit differently by the anti-farming groups. The women were getting called names, having their experience and education challenged as well as their looks judged, when that wasnB次元官网网址檛 happening with our male colleagues.B次元官网网址�
Maximick and over a hundred female salmon farmers started a private Facebook group called Women in Canadian Salmon Farming as B次元官网网址渢herapyB次元官网网址� to escape from the gender-based attacks on social media and share their experiences.
According to her, most of the comments were coming from men in their 50B次元官网网址檚 and 60B次元官网网址檚
B次元官网网址淪ocial media these days has gotten particularly nasty and people feel more free to say nasty things because thereB次元官网网址檚 never repercussions anymore,B次元官网网址� she said and added, B次元官网网址淚f this was happening to women in another industry that maybe wasnB次元官网网址檛 as divisive, would we have more people coming to our defense?B次元官网网址�
As part of the #enoughisenough campaign some of the women posed with placards of the comments that were targeted at them such as B次元官网网址榖etter a sister in a brothel than a brother on a salmon farm,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址榶ou should be listening, not talking young lady,B次元官网网址� among others.
Kaitlin Guitard, a 24-year-old Mowi Canada West employee whose job was impacted recently was subject to online attack after she was featured in a media article based on the Dec. 17 Discovery Island decision to phase out fish farms. Guitard also posed with one the comments she received on social media after she spoke about her job being impacted by the federal decision. It read, B次元官网网址榮heB次元官网网址檚 cuteB次元官网网址� she will land on her feet.B次元官网网址�
The intention of the campaign, said Maxmick, B次元官网网址渨as to bring attention to how atrociously weB次元官网网址檙e being treated.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 think the main point that weB次元官网网址檙e trying to get across as a group is you know what, if you donB次元官网网址檛 like salmon farming because itB次元官网网址檚 divisive thatB次元官网网址檚 fair, everybodyB次元官网网址檚 entitled to their own opinion on everything in the world. But why do we (women) deserve to be talked to like that? Especially when we are being respectful, professional and diplomatic on our endB次元官网网址f weB次元官网网址檙e debating salmon farming you know stick to the topic. If you want to talk about salmon or letB次元官网网址檚 talk but donB次元官网网址檛 take it down this other path of nastiness,B次元官网网址� said Maximick.
