Press Releases
Archived Press Releases:
May 12 ,2007ELECTION 2007: How clean is Donegal’s water, and other pertinent political questions…?
September 25 ,2006OYSTER CRISIS EXPOSES "SHAMBLES" IN MANAGEMENT OF SWILLY
July 11 ,2005ATTEMPT TO DOUBLE SALMON-FARMING OUTPUT IN LOUGH SWILLY
August 23 ,2004WHICH PART OF "NO" DON'T THEY UNDERSTAND?
June 02 ,2004COULTER CALLS FOR POLITICAL CHANGE IN DONEGAL
December 15 ,2003PORTSALON SALMON-FARMING LICENCE REFUSED BY ALAB
November 05 ,2003PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY FEDERATION OF IRISH SALMON AND SEA TROUT ANGLERS, FRIENDS OF CLEW BAY AND SAVE THE SWILLY
September 24 ,2003PRIME TIME EXPOSES AQUACULTURE'S SHORTCOMINGS
July 24 ,2003SAVE THE SWILLY CALLS FOR FARMED SALMON MORTALITY MONITOR
July 21 ,2003ANOTHER DISASTER IN INVER BAY - INQUIRY ESSENTIAL
July 17 ,2003"RURAL DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY"
June 21 ,2003ANOTHER DISASTER IN INVER BAY - INQUIRY ESSENTIAL
February 08 ,2003SAVE THE SWILLY MEETS INISHOWEN POLITICIANS
February 03 ,2003BLUE FLAG BEACH THREATENED BY 80-ACRE FISH FARM
January 29 ,2003SAVE THE SWILLY 10,000-SIGNATURE PETITION ACCEPTED BY EUROPE
January 28 ,2003NEW ALLIANCE FORMED IN SWILLY
December 16 ,2002"STOP RIPPING UP THE SWILLY" INDIGENOUS PEOPLE DEMAND
December 13 ,2002LOUGH SWILLY'S INDIGENOUS FISHERMEN SPEAK OUT
October 01 ,2002Press Releases Save The Swilly 1 October 2002 PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS INTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT
September 25 ,2002SAVE THE SWILLY WELCOMES EU STRATEGY ON COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT
August 12 ,2002'Lough Swilly ICZM Report'
August 02 ,2002QUESTIONS OVER DECOMPOSING SALMON IN INVER BAY
June 03 ,2002NO ROOM FOR TRADITION IN LOUGH SWILLY
May 03 ,2002Save The Swilly opts for "Swilly First"
May 03 ,2002Save The Swilly/Green Party candidate withdraws
May 01 ,2002Save The Swilly/Green Party candidate to contest Donegal North-East
April 18 ,2002COULTER TO BE "AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE" FOR SAVE THE SWILLY
March 25 ,2002Save The Swilly presents 10,000-signature petition to EU
March 12 ,2002Study of Lough Swilly launched
November 30 ,2001STS letter to Hugh Byrne, Minister for State for the Department of the Marine
November 27 ,2001ICZM AND OSPAR - NOT CLAMS - FOR SWILLY
October 17 ,2001SALMON FARM WANTS STILL MORE LICENCES INSHORE
September 17 ,2001SAVE THE SWILLY MEETS LABOUR PARTY
September 13 ,2001SAVE THE SWILLY MEETS MINISTER OF STATE BYRNE
September 01 ,2001SAVE THE SWILLY BEGINS FUNDRAISING DRIVE
August 28 ,2001SAVE THE SWILLY WELCOMES I.F.A. INITIATIVE
May 15 ,2001EXPANSION OF SALMON FARMING TRAGIC FOR SWILLY
April 09 ,2001MUSSEL BARRELS ADRIFT IN LOUGH SWILLY
March 22 ,2001SAVE THE SWILLY PRESENTS PETITION
March 13 ,2001SAVE THE SWILLY QUESTIONS MINISTER BYRNE
March 11 ,2001SAVE THE SWILLY REAFFIRMS CALL FOR MORATORIUM
February 20 ,2001LAUNCH OF SAVE THE SWILLY WEBSITE
January 24 ,2001An open letter to the people on the shores of Lough Swilly:
January 16 ,2001Delegation meets Minister Hugh Byrne
January 09 ,2001Save The Swilly (from looking like Mulroy Bay)
SAVE THE SWILLY - June 03 ,2002
NO ROOM FOR TRADITION IN LOUGH SWILLY
The urgent need for a coherent integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) strategy for Lough Swilly has been highlighted by a series of issues affecting the livelihoods of traditional fishermen in the lough.
The conviction of five oyster pickers for harvesting oysters manually without a dredging licence, the commercial seeding of mussels over natural oyster beds, and the failure of Lough Swilly fishermen to attract any grant funding from the government in the latest fleet upgrade all point to a concerted effort by the Department of the Marine, Bord Iascaigh Mhara and the Northern Regional Fisheries Board to undermine or "phase out" traditional fishermen in Lough Swilly.
As the case against the oyster pickers proceeded, a 100' dredger owned by Dutch interests was working the sea-bed in areas of Lough Swilly that may contain wild oysters, contravening the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1997. Certain mussel farmers have also transferred mussel seed from Lough Foyle to Lough Swilly, or plan to do so. Lough Foyle has a notorious record for toxic algal blooms and diseases afflicting shellfish, and this is well known to the Department of the Marine, which has taken no action to stop the transfer.
"The draconian action taken by the Northern Regional Fisheries Board in the case of the oyster pickers, and the refusal of the Department of the Marine to implement the law in the case of mussel seed sown over indigenous oyster beds suggests to us there are two sets of rules - one for those with close connections to the authorities and another for those without this advantage," a Save the Swilly spokesman said.
"The Northern Regional Fisheries Board has used heavy artillery to deal with people who are engaged in an activity that could easily be regularised, while turning a blind eye to a far greater threat to Lough Swilly's wild oyster beds - illegal dredging and the import of shellfish from the seriously tainted Lough Foyle," the spokesman said.
Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), meanwhile, does not seem to realise there are commercial fishermen in Lough Swilly, awarding seven new boats to fishermen in County Donegal but none at all in Lough Swilly. "We believe these issues form part of a deliberate attempt to clear Lough Swilly of traditional hunter/gatherers to make way for aquaculture," Save The Swilly said.
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