Save The Swilly September 2001

SAVE THE SWILLY BEGINS FUNDRAISING DRIVE

Dear Friends and neighbours,

We last addressed this type of letter to you in January this year. Save The Swilly is an umbrella organisation whose members - anglers, tourism providers, commercial fishermen, residents and business-owners - believe the licensing of fish farms (salmon and shellfish) on Lough Swilly is going ahead without adequate research or consultation, and with no end in sight.

At that time, we presented our case: there should be a moratorium on further aquaculture licensing until a detailed, independent baseline study and an independent environmental impact assessment have been conducted. We asked you, the people on the shores of Lough Swilly, to register your support for these objectives by signing our petition, either on paper or on our website. So far, well over 9,000 people have signed, and our submission has been presented to the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Frank Fahey.

Unfortunately, neither Mr Fahey nor the Dept of the Marine appears to take these concerns seriously. Mr Fahey told the Dail in February that there would be no overall study of Lough Swilly's aquaculture potential. The Dept of the Marine has again begun issuing aquaculture licences, despite serious unanswered EC charges that it has breached environmental directives in the Swilly. The Department's expansion plans have not been disclosed, and the risk is that Lough Swilly will become a site similar to Mulroy Bay. Have you been consulted about these intentions? Do you agree with such an outcome?

Save The Swilly has decided to commission an independent baseline study and an environmental impact statement for Lough Swilly ourselves, but this will be a costly exercise, and in the next few weeks we will be approaching you, the public living on the shores of Lough Swilly, to support this effort. No stone will be left unturned in our effort to ensure the preservation of the lough for future generations.

The Coordinated Local Aquaculture Management Systems (CLAMS) document for Lough Swilly will soon be introduced with much fanfare. You should be aware that CLAMS is in existence to develop aquaculture - it has no other objective, and it has no legislative or statutory basis. The members of Save The Swilly (35 groups) and the 9,700 signatories to our petition believe the other users of the lough also have rights, and we intend asserting them.

We want YOU to be part of the planning process for Lough Swilly - have you been asked what you want for Lough Swilly? We would like to take the baseline study and make it available to all of you, so that we can all make decisions about this vital issue.

Please support our fund-raising drive in Buncrana (8th September) and Letterkenny (15th September). This is about your future and the future of your children.


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)