Save The Swilly November 5, 2003

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY FEDERATION OF IRISH SALMON AND SEA TROUT ANGLERS, FRIENDS OF CLEW BAY AND SAVE THE SWILLY

SEA TROUT AND WILD SALMON HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OF 'ETHNIC CLEANSING' - FISSTA

Ireland has experienced the equivalent of an ethnic cleansing of our wild fish stocks over the past 20 years. The Federation of Irish Salmon and Sea Trout Anglers (FISSTA), in a submission today to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, said the problems in the salmon-farming industry highlighted by the recent RTE Prime Time programme were not unique, or a case of "one or two bad apples".

FISSTA was one of several groups asked to appear before the Joint Committee following revelations in the Prime Time programme which focused on the problems of sea-lice and on breaches of regulations by a number of salmon farmers.

These were not isolated incidents, according to FISSTA chairman Mr Noel Carr. He said there are issues relating to sea-lice infestation and pollution from salmon farming that pose a real and increasing environmental threat to the Irish coastline. "We hope and trust that a wake-up call is heard and understood, " Mr Carr told the Oireachtas Committee. "It is not an exaggeration to state that the survival of Ireland's wild sea trout and salmon will depend on the actions taken by our legislators."

While the linkage between declines in wild salmon and sea trout stocks and infestation of sea-lice from salmon farms is accepted in countries such as Norway, Mr Carr said Ireland's regulatory agencies are in denial about this dire threat to our native species. He quoted the respected marine scientist Dr Paddy Gargan, that "there is no doubt that salmon farms producing sea-lice are the major contributing factor to the sea-trout collapse." Mr Michael Kennedy, of the Western Regional Fisheries Board, also was interviewed during the Prime Time programme, blaming salmon farms for the sea-trout collapse. Mr Kennedy said that the Western Board "had considered everything" in its efforts to establish a cause for the decline in wild-fish stocks. "Forestry, over-grazing, angling, but it all came down to one thing - sea-lice emanating from salmon farms."

FISSTA and various affiliated organisations, including Friends of Clew Bay and Save The Swilly, have called on the government to suspend all further licensing of salmon farms while Ireland conducts its own research into the relationship between sea-lice and declines in salmon and sea-trout stocks. "Why are we prepared to continue risking the very existence of the wild salmon as we have already brought our sea trout to the point of extinction?" the FISSTA submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee asked.

Norway has closed many bays and fjords to fish-farming in a determined bid to conserve its wild salmon and sea trout stocks. "In Ireland, we have not reached that level of honesty about the risks posed by salmon farming," FISSTA said. "We know of no fish farm in Ireland that has been reprimanded, much less fined, for exceeding maximum permitted sea-lice levels on their farms."

Mr Carr of FISSTA said it was common knowledge that many Irish fish farms consistently exceeded maximum permitted sea-lice levels. "In a recent report, the Northern Regional Fisheries Board (NRFB) said sea-lice levels in Inver Bay, Co. Donegal are five to six times the levels permitted under present regulations." The Chief Executive of the NRFB said the problem had existed for a number of years, and he had raised the matter with the Department of the Marine several times. "Yet, to our knowledge nothing has happened in response to these disclosures," said Mr Carr.

FISSTA said the "appropriate State agencies must be given the powers to regulate the [salmon-farming] industry in an objective way, and that they must be seen to be doing so."

Contact: Noel Carr, FISSTA, 087-2352001 http://www.fissta.com www.fissta.com
Harry Hughes, Friends of Clew Bay, 087-2531158

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)