SAVE THE SWILLY - May 12 ,2001

Letter from the Department of the Marine concerning receipt of the Save The Swilly petition and long-term plans for Lough Swilly. Read the letter in full...

On 22 March 2001 in Dublin, a delegation from Save The Swilly presented a petition containing more than 8,400 signatures to the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Frank Fahey. [STS continues to receive signed petitions; by July 2001, the total was more than 9,200.]

STS demanded a moratorium on further aquaculture licensing in Lough Swilly until such time as a baseline study and an environmental impact assessment had been carried out on the entire lough, and on nearby Mulroy Bay. Phil Coulter and Paul Brady, internationally known musicians with strong Donegal connections, handed over the petition on our behalf, and expressed their concerns as well about further expansion of aquaculture in Lough Swilly. Ms Katherine Licken, Mr Fahey's private secretary, accepted the two-volume petition for the Minister at Leinster House.

As no acknowledgement of, or reply to the petition was received during the next six weeks, chairman of Save The Swilly, Tony Morrison, wrote to Mr Fahey requesting acknowledgement of the petition and some indication of the Department of the Marine's plans for Lough Swilly.

The following letter was received from Ms Licken, Mr Fahey's private secretary:

Office of the Minister for the Marine
and Natural Resources

12 May 2001

AQUACULTURE

Dear Mr Morrison,

Mr Frank Fahey TD, Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, has asked me to reply as follows to your recent letter (which was accompanied by a large number of petitions).

The overall objective of Government policy is to support the sustainable development of the aquaculture sector in harmony with other marine users. The capacity of the water body such as Lough Swilly is a concept dependent on a very wide range of factors at any one time. In this context it should be noted that aquaculture is itself affected by other activities and depends fundamentally on a clean environment. It is clearly in the interest of aquaculturalists to safeguard their investment and to lose no time in retrieving any equipment which may be displaced by storms or other external factors. All aquaculturalists in Lough Swilly have been reminded of their obligations to avoid litter araising [sic] from their operations.

While the Minister has no proposals to commission a study on the overall aquaculture potential of Lough Swilly, it is important to note that, in accordance with the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1997, each application for aquaculture licensing is publicly advertised and the subject of consultation with specialist organisations (such as Bord Failte, DUCHAS, An Taisce, Regional Fisheries Board etc.), and is considered on its merits and takes account of such matters as any adverse impacts on wild fisheries, avoidance of adverse impacts on the natural and archaeological heritage of importance [sic], navigational and safety issues and the impact of the development on the marine environment, as well as other users of the marine resources. Aquaculture is a major tourism earner in many areas (e.g. Bantry, Galway, Carlingford, etc) , and can develop further in a sustainable way. Furthermore, all salmon farming licensing proposals must be accompanied by a detailed environmental impact statement which is published. In addition, the establishment under the 1997 Act of an independent Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board, enables appeals to be taken against licensing decisions.

The transparent licensing framework and ancillary supports such as Co-ordinated Local Aquaculture Management Systems (CLAMS) are already facilitating the development of aquaculture on a sustainable and environmentally appropriate basis. CLAMS aims to involve all local interests, including anglers, tourism interests, fish farmers, statutory agencies, environmentalists and local representatives in jointly managing the various activities in a designated area and promptly addressing issues of day-to-day concerns arising. CLAMS is currently operating successfully in a number of areas with significant aquaculture activity and will be extended to all such areas. A draft CLAMS plan for Lough Swilly is currently nearing completion. The Minister trusts that the Save the Swilly Group and other concerned organisations will participate fully in the CLAMS exercise in the overall public interest.

Yours sincerely,
Katherine Licken
Private Secretary

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