Save The Swilly 24 January 2001

An open letter to the people on the shores of Lough Swilly:

Dear Friends and neighbours,

Save The Swilly is an umbrella organisation formed in November 2000. It comprises several concerned groups in the Lough Swilly area - anglers, tourism providers, commercial fishermen, concerned residents and others. We are writing this letter to carry a message to everyone who cares about our beautiful surroundings, and particularly about the magnificence of Lough Swilly, the Lake of Shadows. This is not a minor issue - this is the future of Lough Swilly.

We believe Ireland in 2001 is capable of preserving this national asset, which like most things of beauty is fragile, and needs care and attention.

What we are seeking is not radical, and it will not cost any jobs, whatever the Department of the Marine or the aquaculture industry tell you.

We have started a petition simply asking that no further aquaculture licences be granted in Lough Swilly until we have all had an opportunity to study the implications.

We urge the government to agree to an independent comprehensive baseline study of Lough Swilly, covering ecology, archaeology, landscape, marine leisure and tourism. Of particular concern are Lough Swilly's Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation.

We then need an independent environmental impact assessment to determine exactly what the environmental impact of aquaculture on the lough will be. The results should be made available to everyone around Lough Swilly, who should be given an opportunity to express their opinion on the matter.

When a delegation from Save The Swilly met Minister of State for the Marine, Hugh Byrne, in Dublin on 16th January, one of the questions we asked was: Does the government have an overall plan for aquaculture in Lough Swilly? We received no answer.

If the answer is yes, we ask that it be made public, so that all residents on the shores of Lough Swilly can be consulted.

If the answer is no, we believe any further licensing of aquaculture in Lough Swilly would be irresponsible until the procedures suggested above have been carried out.

The Department of the Marine has admitted that "mistakes were made" in developing the aquaculture industry in Mulroy Bay.

We ask that an independent and detailed study of the environmental impact of aquaculture on Mulroy Bay should be conducted, as a "post mortem" on the history of that area. If mistakes have been made, we need to know what they were and what will be done to ensure that they are not repeated.

The Department of the Marine has suggested that the Co-Ordinated Local Aquaculture Management Systems (C.L.A.M.S.) is the mechanism for dealing with our concerns. We disagree.

C.L.A.M.S. is a government programme that assumes that aquaculture will expand in Lough Swilly - not if it should. It has no statutory foundation, and its own Explanatory Handbook states the following: [C.L.A.M.S. will meet various parties] "who may not be in favour of aquaculture development". [However], "Though their comments will be heard, it is not going to be the policy to address all of their concerns in C.L.A.M.S. It must be stressed that one of the main purposes of C.L.A.M.S. is to provide a framework for the development of the [aquaculture] industry and not a document that lists all objections to it."

Save The Swilly represents the legitimate concerns of a wide cross-section of people who live on the shores of Lough Swilly, earn their living from the lough, visit the lough and in all cases have expressed concern and anxiety about the existing aquaculture developments in the lough. Take a drive - or better yet, a boat ride - see for yourself.

We are not opposed to the development of Lough Swilly, but we believe inadequate attention is being paid to the environmental costs associated with aquaculture. Re-focusing development energies, and indeed funding, to areas such as marine tourism would, in our view, provide at least as many jobs as aquaculture.

The groups in Save The Swilly have a common belief - that Lough Swilly is at the core of our heritage, and of our children's heritage.

If you are also concerned, raise the issue with your elected representatives, or contact Save The Swilly to sign the petition:

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

This letter appeared in local Donegal newspapers during the last week of January 2001; it was also used as a flyer for postal delivery.

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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)