MEDIA INVITATION - Tuesday, 9 Jan 2001, 2pm

Save The Swilly
(from looking like Mulroy Bay)

"No fish farm has much of a chance to go into an area if the local people are strongly opposed to it." - Frank Fahey, Minister for the Marine, 28th November 2000.

More than 1,000 acres of Lough Swilly have already been licensed for aquaculture, and the "Lake of Shadows" is rapidly becoming a second Mulroy Bay. Consultation by the Department of the Marine and the aquaculture industry has been minimal. Licensing applications for shellfish and salmon farms have been approved against the express wishes of residents and local authorities such as county and urban district councils.

From both sides of Lough Swilly, concerned residents, anglers, commercial fishermen, sailors and hoteliers have come together under one umbrella organisation, Save The Swilly, to stop this process now.

Save The Swilly will be formally launched on Tuesday, 9th January 2001. Media are invited to attend.

Time: 2.00pm

Venue: Buncrana Anglers Association clubhouse, at the mouth of the Crana River (Turn left after bridge at the entrance to Buncrana. Follow this road around to the right, turn left after Fruit of the Loom, continue past small stone cottage towards old stone bridge. Buncrana Anglers' clubhouse is on the right-hand side).

Present at the launch will be representatives of the key organisations involved in Save The Swilly, including Buncrana Anglers, An Taisce, Aileach Net Fishermen's Association, Lough Swilly Preservation Group, Donegal Inshore Fishermen's Association, Rathmullan Hotel Owners, Buncrana Environmental Group, as well as concerned residents' groups from Letterkenny, Ramelton, Rathmullan, Portsalon, Buncrana and elsewhere on the Lough Swilly shore. Support has been extended by several elected public representatives.

To contact Save The Swilly:

Tony Morrison or Chris Shaw
Phone: 077-63733 or Mobile: 087-2814868
E-mail: buncranaanglersassoc@eircom.net

• Save The Swilly (STS) is an umbrella group, formed to stop aquaculture development in Lough Swilly. It has representatives from all sides of the Swilly.
• Members include: Buncrana Anglers Association, Lough Swilly Preservation Group, Rathmullan House and Fort Royal Hotel, Donegal Game Angling Federation, Buncrana Environmental Group, An Taisce, Donegal Historical Society, Fahan Sea Angling Club, Buncrana Gun Club, Inch and Leenan Commercial Fishermen
• Department of the Marine seems to be designating Lough Swilly for aquaculture. Maps marking all existing and proposed aquaculture installations - shellfish and finfish - show enormous expansion under way.
• Total installations in Lough Swilly will cover surface area of more than 1,000 acres of water.
• Serious implications arise for water quality, food safety, tourism, wild salmon and sea trout, visitor access, navigation, visual beauty, special areas of conservation.
• Save The Swilly is concerned that Lough Swilly's aquaculture licensing is not being conducted in a transparent manner; prior public consultation virtually non-existent.
• Environmental and economic impacts not adequately assessed; serious objections ignored.
• If Lough Swilly loses qualities attractive to tourists - pristine beauty, scenic drives, clean water and beaches, wild fish angling - jobs and investments will be threatened.
• EC Directorate-General for Environment has conveyed their concerns about aquaculture expansion in Lough Swilly's Special Protection Area to the government. Habitats for migrating and native wildfowl are under threat.
• Health risks: Up to 19 different chemicals regularly required, and legally approved, to produce farmed salmon. Pesticides, anti-foulants, antibiotics, along with faeces and excess food, end up in the water or as sediment on the seabed. Among the chemicals is cypermethrin, also used as sheep dip; cypermethrin is 100 times more toxic when exposed to water.
• Farmed salmon are fed animal byproducts from organisms they were never intended to eat, including their own species. BSE showed deadly consequences of reorganizing the food chain in this way.
• Conflict of interest in Department of the Marine openly declaring itself a promoter of aquaculture industry, rather than protecting and regulating the resources for which it is responsible.
• More than two thousand people have signed a petition which is still in circulation, opposing the development of aquaculture in Lough Swilly.

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)