Press Releases

Archived Press Releases:

 May 12 ,2007
ELECTION 2007: How clean is Donegal’s water, and other pertinent political questions…?

 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 02 ,2004
COULTER CALLS FOR POLITICAL CHANGE IN DONEGAL

 December 15 ,2003
PORTSALON SALMON-FARMING LICENCE REFUSED BY ALAB

 November 05 ,2003
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY FEDERATION OF IRISH SALMON AND SEA TROUT ANGLERS, FRIENDS OF CLEW BAY AND SAVE THE SWILLY

 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"

 June 21 ,2003
ANOTHER DISASTER IN INVER BAY - INQUIRY ESSENTIAL

 February 08 ,2003
SAVE THE SWILLY MEETS INISHOWEN POLITICIANS

 February 03 ,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

 October 01 ,2002
Press Releases Save The Swilly 1 October 2002 PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS INTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT

 September 25 ,2002
SAVE THE SWILLY WELCOMES EU STRATEGY ON COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT

 August 12 ,2002
'Lough Swilly ICZM Report'

 August 02 ,2002
QUESTIONS OVER DECOMPOSING SALMON IN INVER BAY

 June 03 ,2002
NO ROOM FOR TRADITION IN LOUGH SWILLY

 May 03 ,2002
Save The Swilly opts for "Swilly First"

 May 03 ,2002
Save The Swilly/Green Party candidate withdraws

 May 01 ,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 01 ,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 09 ,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
An open letter to the people on the shores of Lough Swilly:

 January 16 ,2001
Delegation meets Minister Hugh Byrne

 January 09 ,2001
Save The Swilly (from looking like Mulroy Bay)

SAVE THE SWILLY - May 15 ,2001

EXPANSION OF SALMON FARMING TRAGIC FOR SWILLY

Save The Swilly has described the expansion of salmon-farming in Lough Swilly as a tragedy for the lough, and a decision that will return to haunt the community in years to come.

The group, which is calling for a moratorium on further aquaculture licensing in Lough Swilly until an independent baseline study and an independent environmental impact assessment have been completed, was responding to a decision by the Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board in Dublin to reject appeals against licensing at Callagh and Binnawheelmore.

The Minister told Dail Eireann on 22nd February 2001 that no study was envisaged for the Swilly, but he later claimed in an interview at the weekend that a study was under way. He was presumably referring to the Department of the Marine's Co-ordinated Local Aquaculture Management Systems (CLAMS). However, Save The Swilly said: "We do not accept that the Department of the Marine can be objective or independent about aquaculture, as it is publicly committed to a 300% expansion of this industry over the next five years."

It is clear from its own handbook that CLAMS is not the solution. The CLAMS document says: "It is envisaged that meetings etc. will be held with various parties, who may not be in favour of aquaculture development. Though their comments will be heard, it is not going to be the policy to address all of their concerns in CLAMS."

An extra 1,100,000 pounds (500 tons) of salmon will be produced in Lough Swilly every year on foot of the latest licences, with serious implications for the survival of wild salmon and sea trout in the four rivers flowing into the lough. All the rivers have suffered a drastic decline in wild fish since the arrival of salmon-farming. How much pesticide, food dye, anti-foulant, fish faeces and excess feed and sea-lice will find their way into the Swilly with this expansion?

Save The Swilly has 30 member groups (more than 15,000 individuals), representing tourism, angling, commercial fishing, diving, sailing and bird-watching interests, among others. More than 8,700 people have now signed its petition, which has had no response from Minister Frank Fahey. A copy of the petition will be lodged with the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament within the next month. This follows last week's strongly-worded reprimand to the Irish Government from the Directorate-General Environment of the European Commission warning about breaches of European directives on birds, habitats, flora and fauna by issuing aquaculture licences within Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation. "It is time Ireland became a good citizen of Europe, instead of ignoring environmental directives with one hand, while accepting funds from Europe with the other," Save The Swilly said. "The government is aggressively promoting the Nice Treaty, but what kind of role model is this for the new entrants to the European Union?"

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