Save The Swilly December 15, 2003

PORTSALON SALMON-FARMING LICENCE REFUSED BY ALAB

The Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board (ALAB) has upheld the appeals of six members of Save The Swilly (STS) against the decision to grant a salmon-farming licence at Dooanmore, near Portsalon, County Donegal.

The thrust of the six appeals was that the proposed site was an inappropriate location for salmon farming. The appeals body said in its determination that it had treated all six appeals against the Portsalon licence as one. The Board accepted the appellants' arguments that the proposed 90-acre operation would have a negative impact on the surrounding environment. ALAB, which made the decision on the Lough Swilly appeal on 8th December 2003, gave the following reasons:

(i) "It is considered that the deterioration in water quality arising from the proposed activity would have a negative impact on the recreational use of the adjacent Portsalon Blue Flag Beach.

(ii) "It is considered that the proposed activity constitutes an unacceptable risk to navigation.

(iii) "It is considered that the location of the proposed activity would give rise to injury to visual amenity in an area visible from a designated scenic and tourist route and within the views and prospects of special amenity as designated in the Donegal County Development Plan 2000."

Mr Tony Morrison, chairman of Save The Swilly, said the decision vindicated the position STS had taken since its inception. "We have consistently argued that there are many stakeholders in Lough Swilly, and that there are options for development that do not intrude on the rights of other users. We believe many jobs can be created through a systematic Integrated Coastal Zone Management strategy."

Mr Morrison quoted a statement from the Committee on Petitions at the European Parliament, which has declared Save The Swilly's 10,000-signature petition admissible. The statement says: "The Commission welcomes the findings of the ICZM Scoping Study [commissioned by Save The Swilly]. It appears that a fuller coastal zone management exercise would be useful for the Lough Swilly area and should be considered a priority by the Irish authorities in their implementation of Recommendation 2002/413/EEC."

The six appellants were Buncrana Anglers Association, Lough Swilly Preservation Group, An Taisce NW Donegal, Mr BJ Eastwood, Mr Dermot Brown and Mr John Mulcahy. Mr Morrison said the appellants in this case reflected a wide cross-section of interests in Lough Swilly. He called on the Donegal County Council to accept the need for an Integrated Coastal Zone Management strategy for Lough Swilly. "The initial work has already been done by the Coastal Studies Research Group at the University of Ulster in Coleraine, and now we need some action," Mr Morrison concluded.

SAVE THE SWILLY contacts:

Email: info@loughswilly.com
Phone: Tony Morrison (353) 07493-63733
Phone: John Mulcahy (353) 07491-59113; (353) 086-2808636
Address: c/o Buncrana Anglers Association,
Castle Lane, Buncrana, Co. Donegal
Website: www.loughswilly.com

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Archived Press Releases:

September 25, 2006
Oyster crisis exposes "shambles" in management of Swilly

July 11, 2005
Attempt to double salmon-farming output in Lough Swilly

August 23, 2004
Which part of "No" don't they understand?

June 2, 2004
Coulter calls for political change in Donegal

December 15, 2003
Portsalon salmon-farming licence refused by ALAB

November 05, 2003
Sea Trout and Wild Salmon have been Victims of 'Ethnic Cleansing' - FISSTA

September 24, 2003
Prime Time Exposes Aquaculture's Shortcomings

July 24, 2003
Save the Swilly Calls for Farmed Salmon Mortality Monitor

July 21, 2003
Another Disaster in Inver Bay - Inquiry Essential

July 17, 2003
Rural Development Towards Sustainability

February 8, 2003
Save the Swilly Meets Inishowen Politicians

February 3, 2003
Blue Flag Beach Threatened by 80-Acre Fish Farm

January 29, 2003
Save the Swilly 10,000-Signature Petition Accepted by Europe

January 28, 2003
New Alliance Formed in Swilly

December 16, 2002
"Stop Ripping Up the Swilly" Indigenous People Demand

December 13, 2002
Lough Swilly's Indigenous Fishermen Speak Out

October1, 2002
Public Meeting to Discuss Integrated Coastal Zone Management

September 25, 2002
Save the Swilly Welcomes the Strategy on Coastal Zone Mangement

August 12, 2002
Integrated Coastal Zone Management Proposal Launched

August 2, 2002
Questions over decomposing salmon in Inver Bay

June 3, 2002
No Room for Tradition in Lough Swilly

May 3, 2002
Save the Swilly opts for "Swilly First"

May 3, 2002
Save the Swilly/Green Party candidate withdraws

May 1, 2002
Save the Swilly/Green Party candidate to contest Donegal North-East

April 18, 2002
Coulter to be "Ambassador at Large" for Save the Swilly

March 25, 2002
Save The Swilly presents 10,000-signature petition to EU

March 12, 2002
Study of Lough Swilly launched

November 30, 2001 STS letter to Hugh Byrne, Minister for State for the Department of the Marine

November 27, 2001 ICZM and OSPAR - not Clams - for Swilly

October 17, 2001 Salmon farm wants still more licences inshore

September 17, 2001 Save the Swilly meets Labour Party

September 13, 2001 Save the Swilly meets Minister of State Byrne

September 1, 2001 Save the Swilly begins fundraising drive

August 28, 2001 Save the Swilly welcomes I.F.A. initiative

May 15, 2001 Expansion of salmon farming tragic for Swilly

April 9, 2001 Mussel barrels adrift in Lough Swilly

March 22, 2001 Save the Swilly presents petition

March 13, 2001 Save the Swilly questions Minister Byrne

March 11, 2001 Save the Swilly reaffirms call for moratorium

February 20, 2001 Launch of Save the Swilly website

January 24, 2001

January 16, 2001 Delegation meets Minister Hugh Byrne

January 9, 2001 Save The Swilly
(from looking like Mulroy Bay)