Save The Swilly July 21, 2003

ANOTHER DISASTER IN INVER BAY - INQUIRY ESSENTIAL

Serious questions arise from the massive fish kill last week in Inver Bay, Co. Donegal, in which more than 500,000 farmed salmon are believed to have died. Save The Swilly has renewed its call for an independent inquiry into the Inver Bay disaster. An inquiry was called for a year ago, when more than 50,000 mature farmed salmon died in a salmon pen owned by Ocean Farm in Inver Bay, and were allowed to sink to the seabed, where they have since been decomposing.

According to the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources more than 230,000 fish had been killed by Friday, but Save The Swilly has been told the final tally is likely to be at least 500,000 dead salmon, equivalent to about 2 million kg, or 2,200 tons. The maximum annual production licensed for Inver Bay is 3,480 tons. One issue is whether tonnage from the cages is consistent with the maximum annual output licensed for Inver Bay. Of the three fish farms in Inver Bay, Ocean Farm has a licence for 2,280 tons, while Creevin and Eany are each licensed to produce 600 tons a year.

The three fish farms in Inver Bay have blamed a prawn dredger for disturbing the seabed and causing the release of hydrogen sulphide. The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources disputes this explanation, claiming that the deaths were caused by "a water-borne irritant which may be chemical or biological in nature". What is meant by that statement? Were the fish deaths caused by pesticides or other chemicals used to attack sea-lice? Was the cause faeces or excess feed? Or suffocation caused by over-stocking? It is imperative that the source of the contamination causing the fish deaths be established. There has never been a transparent report explaining how the dead fish on the seabed resulting from last year's incident have been dispersed or how those deaths occurred. It is at least a possibility that the source of the material that killed the fish in Inver Bay last week was from the decomposing salmon. If that is not the case, Save The Swilly has asked the regulatory authority, the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, to present evidence to support this conclusion.

"In all the statements on Inver Bay there is no reference to last year's disaster at Ocean Farm's operation. It is obviously the first place to look for a reason for the latest crisis. If that is ruled out, we should be told that it has been investigated and discarded," said Tony Morrison, chairman of Save The Swilly. Ocean Farm, a founder member of Irish Quality Salmon, is one of the three farms in Inver Bay affected by the latest fish kill.

The latest disaster in Inver Bay underlines the risks to the Irish coast-line of intensive salmon farming, and the urgent need for transparent implementation of regulations. "The Department is rewarded for increasing tonnage - not for applying the regulations," Save The Swilly's chairman, Tony Morrison said in a statement. "It is apparent that this industry needs better regulation, and that the regulations must be applied." One suggestion is that fish farms should have their production controlled by issuing quotas for feed. "The industry regularly boasts of its efficient feed conversion ratio. Why not restrict the use of feed to ensure that farms are not over-producing?" Mr Morrison asked. Save The Swilly is advocating the introduction of an Integrated Coastal Zone Management strategy for Lough Swilly. Mr Morrison said the disaster in Inver Bay should be a wake-up call to those who persistently deny the risk that salmon-farming poses to other users of coastal waters.

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)