Save The Swilly July 24, 2003

SAVE THE SWILLY CALLS FOR FARMED SALMON MORTALITY MONITOR

Mystery still surrounds the sudden death of more than 400,000 farmed salmon in Inver Bay, the biggest fish kill in the history of salmon farming in the European Union, two weeks after the mortalities were first reported to the authorities. Save The Swilly has called on the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to disclose in public details of all farmed salmon mortalities and escapes.

"Fishermen and residents in the Inver Bay area claim that farmed salmon have been dying on a continuing basis, at levels that are well above standard practice. That may be unsubstantiated, but the onus is on the regulatory authority, the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, to disclose everything that might affect water quality," said Tony Morrison, chairman of Save The Swilly. "It takes the deaths of hundreds of thousands of fish for any action to be taken. We need to know details of all deaths and escapes on a regular basis." The group, which comprises more than 30 member organisations, has argued for some time that an inherent conflict of interest exists in the role of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources as the principal promoter as well as the regulator of fish farming.

"As stakeholders in the marine environment our members - fishermen, anglers, tourist operators and the general public - have a right to feel confident that their interests are being protected," said Mr Morrison. "At the moment that is not the case. There is a pervasive culture of secrecy surrounding the Department regarding its obligations to protect the marine environment, and the relationship with the aquaculture industry is far too close. We would like to see a complete overhaul of the regulatory environment surrounding aquaculture, but at the very least a disaster such as the Inver Bay fish kill, following a major kill last summer in the same area, should be examined independently."

Save The Swilly said in a statement the report awaited from the Marine Institute was meaningless in the way it has been held back from public scrutiny. "Reliance on the Department and the industry to regulate the industry has produced disasters in two successive years in Inver Bay, and we must know the facts so that similar disasters can be avoided in other areas where salmon-farm expansion is being contemplated," said Mr Morrison.

It is a year since the last major fish kill in Inver Bay, and until now there has been no detailed report about that incident. The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources accepted a recommendation from a consultant hired by the fish farm concerned, Ocean Farm, to leave the 50,000-80,000 mature farmed salmon on the seabed. The pile of dead fish, estimated at more than 300 tons, has been decomposing since June 2002. What is the state of this pile of rotting fish?

"It seems obvious that the first thing to do is to establish the condition of the area where the Ocean Farm kill occurred last year," Mr Morrison said. "We need an explicit reassurance from the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources that the Ocean Farm fish kill in 2002 has no bearing on the recent disaster."

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)