Save The Swilly 13 March 2001

SAVE THE SWILLY QUESTIONS MINISTER BYRNE

Save The Swilly, the umbrella organisation calling for a moratorium on aquaculture licensing on Lough Swilly, Donegal, has written to the Minister of State at the Department of the Marine challenging comments made by him in a 28th February interview with the news service IntraFish (www.intrafish.com ). Mr Byrne described the meeting he held with the Save The Swilly delegation on 16th January as "positive", adding: "I hope that all the licences in Swilly can now go ahead."

Save The Swilly says in the letter to Mr Byrne that nothing was agreed at the Dublin meeting, and the organisation has not deviated from its original position: A moratorium on all further aquaculture licensing in Lough Swilly pending the outcome of a baseline study and an Environmental Impact Assessment. Save The Swilly awaits his response.

In the letter to Mr Byrne, Save The Swilly stressed that it has deliberately maintained a reasonable posture on this issue, but the group has no intention of going away. "We believe that all non-aquaculture users of Lough Swilly have already been seriously compromised by the expansion of the industry, and there is no justification for its continued expansion other than to absorb subsidies from Europe. The industry is already complaining about labour shortages - and recommending the hiring of overseas workers - so the question of job creation and preservation needs to be closely examined."

The letter adds that there are ways of using the resource that is Lough Swilly in a creative and constructive way. "We do not believe the only way forward, or indeed the best way forward, is a dogged expansion of aquaculture. We have not even been able to get figures of existing employment in Lough Swilly from your department, and there is a complete absence of transparency in the mechanism for licensing and managing the industry in this area." On the subject of marine safety, Save The Swilly brought to Mr Byrne's attention a serious incident in Lough Swilly on 21st February. A Marine Harvest (formerly Hydro Seafood Fanad) salmon cage broke loose from its mooring in Scraggy Bay, and drifted across the lough to the front shore at Buncrana. The cage was approx 25 metres in diameter and it is entirely fortuitous that there was not a serious accident. "What action has been taken/will be taken against the company concerned?"

Save The Swilly concludes its letter: "If (the IntraFish interview) accurately represents your view, we are concerned that no progress whatsoever has been made."

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)