Save The Swilly December 16, 2002

"STOP RIPPING UP THE SWILLY" INDIGENOUS PEOPLE DEMAND

Monday, 16th December 2002 - The valuable resources of Lough Swilly must be preserved and not "ripped up" in the interests of a small number of people seeking short-term profits, indigenous Lough Swilly fishing people said at the weekend.

Mr Kenny Brown, a spokesman for the famous Brown family of Inch Island, stressed that his family is not opposed to aquaculture, and in fact is seeking additional bottom-culture mussel ground in Lough Swilly. "But we have to do it the right way. If they go through and rip up [wild oyster] beds it will do the image of aquaculture no good at all," he said.

At a meeting in Letterkenny on Saturday, 14th December 2002, representatives from the Brown family - Mr Cecil Brown and Mr Kenny Brown - met the Lough Swilly Wild Oyster Development Association, represented by Mr Alex Carlin and Mr Danny Toland, and a representative from the people who have been picking oysters and other shellfish from the shores of Lough Swilly for generations, Mr Michael Hanlon. Mr John Niven, representing the Inch Pier Committee, was also present at the meeting.

The groups all agreed that they have common ground, and that they have decided to speak out. At a time when coastal communities that have relied on fishing for their livelihoods for generations are under threat, "our own government is giving up ground" to big groups represented by Irish "front-men", the group said. While this was the first such meeting, it is likely the indigenous fishing people will meet regularly in the future, and a formal lobbying group will probably emerge from this initiative.

"We have no objection to anyone making a pound on the Swilly," said Mr Cecil Brown. "We all worked away with no difficulty until the big [aquaculture] licensing push began a few years ago." However, the introduction into the Swilly of 100' dredgers, with powerful 1,000-horsepower engines, has altered the balance. It is apparent that the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) and the Coordinated Local Aquaculture Management Systems (CLAMS) all favour the big operators, at the expense of indigenous fishing people.

The three groups agreed that the focus in developing Lough Swilly should start with people who have traditionally earned a living from the lough. Each of the representatives told of the difficulty in getting politicians to listen to them, and claimed government agencies were deliberately excluding indigenous people from licensing and from grant aid.

The Brown family representatives referred to an approach made to them some years ago by an individual, who has links to BIM and to grant-aid bodies, who told them there would be a substantial increase in aquaculture licensing on Lough Swilly, and that they should prepare to participate in the process. They commissioned an accountant to prepare a Business Plan, which they submitted to this individual. Nothing more was heard about the matter until this individual's own name appeared on an aquaculture licence.

It is this licence and one other that are at the heart of a legal dispute about the granting of mussel licences in areas where there are wild oyster beds. Section 8 of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1997 prohibits the granting of aquaculture licences in areas which have wild oyster beds unless permission is granted by licensed oyster fishing people. The Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources three years ago granted two licences in such areas, and despite the fact that this has been repeatedly pointed out, and acknowledged in the Dail, nothing has been done to reverse these licences. There is also evidence that large dredgers have seeded mussel outside licensed areas, and have dredged these areas, removing natural oysters without a licence to do so. This has happened in the full knowledge of BIM, CLAMS and the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.
Meanwhile, the Hanlon family have been prosecuted by the Northern Regional Fisheries Board for picking oysters from the shore of Lough Swilly, a traditional pursuit that this family and others around Lough Swilly have pursued for up to 70 years. According to Mr Hanlon they were prosecuted for picking oysters without a licence, while huge dredgers were removing tons of oysters without comment from the Fisheries Board or indeed any official body. "There is one rule for the big boys and another for the small people," Mr Hanlon told the meeting.

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

[back to top]

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)