Save The Swilly July 11, 2005

ATTEMPT TO DOUBLE SALMON-FARMING OUTPUT IN LOUGH SWILLY

Marine Harvest Ireland (MHI), a subsidiary of the world's largest salmon-farming conglomerate, has revived an attempt to expand its operations in Lough Swilly. A Scoping Letter circulated by MHI in recent weeks proposes a doubling of the firm's licensed tonnage in the Donegal lough from 1,000 tonnes to 2,000 tonnes, targeting Portsalon, one of Ireland's most beautiful scenic spots, and an expansion at Anny Point, near Rathmullan.

In a previous licensing decision, MHI was allowed to increase production to 1,500 tonnes from 1,000 tonnes, on condition that it used two sites. However, it has not produced any fish at the Binnawheelmore or Callagh sites, and as such its maximum permitted tonnage in Lough Swilly remains 1,000 tonnes a year. In December 2003, a licence granted to MHI for a salmon-farming operation near Portsalon was overturned by the Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board (ALAB). The company is now attempting to re-apply at the same site, which is in full view of the scenic Fanad Drive and within Ballymastocker Bay, the location of one of Lough Swilly's two Blue Flag beaches.

ALAB, the final arbiter in the aquaculture licensing process, is held up by the aquaculture industry and by the Department of the Marine as evidence of the fair and democratic nature of the aquaculture licensing process. The ALAB decision in 2003 was clear-cut, based on the over-riding conclusion that the Dooanmore/Portsalon area is an unsuitable place for fish-farming. These are the reasons ALAB gave for rejecting the previous Dooanmore licence:

"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;

· ". . . the proposed activity constitutes an unacceptable risk to navigation;

· ". . . 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."

ALAB based its decision on a detailed analysis by the Board's Inspector, who made these observations in his report:

• "MHI's Environmental Impact Statement did not assess the possible negative effect of fats and lipids from the cages on the beach and swimmers. This discharge will affect water quality and smell and could potentially impact on swimmers using Stocker Strand."
  
• "MHI is a very significant employer in the region, but there is no evidence that jobs would be lost if the Dooanmore site is not licensed."
  
• "The visual impact of 18 cages at Dooanmore would . . . be very substantial, would be contrary to the County Donegal Development Plan 2000-2006 and the National Spatial Strategy 2000-2020."
  
• "The holiday cottages in Portsalon, which tend to be side-on to the site, will have their view impacted."
  
• "If licensed, the presence of the cages will be a physical barrier to commercial fishing, particularly with nets. The ground around the site is sandy and suitable for both demersal and pelagic fishing."

The attempt to seek a licence at an identical site to one explicitly and legally overturned by ALAB is an extraordinary slap in the face for the Appeals Board, and contravenes both the letter and the spirit of the process. MHI chose not to pursue its final legal option, a Judicial Review of the ALAB decision. Failure to do this has closed the legal door to this site.

The MHI circular says they have, in addition, "identified a revised site area, in the vicinity of the existing Anny Point site". The Department of Marine's own report, "Fishfarm Inspection Programme - Anny Point, Lough Swilly, Co. Donegal T12/085", dated 8th August 2003, notes that MHI has been operating outside its licensed area for some years: "As was the case in the last audit, all cages are outside the licensed area…the situation remains as it has for many years that there is no correlation between cages on the water and the site actually licensed." This report also states that harvest tonnage at the Anny Point site has substantially exceeded the maximum allowed for that site. These serious issues were raised by Buncrana Anglers Association to Marine Minister Pat The Cope Gallagher in November 2004, but without response.

In a single stroke, a multinational company (controlled by Dutch conglomerate Nutreco) is seeking to re-apply for one Swilly site refused categorically by the highest aquaculture licensing body in Ireland, and it also appears to be asking the Irish Government to legalise operations at another site which have been "outside the licensed area" for many years.

The company has set a deadline of Friday, 22nd July 2005 for written submissions.

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)