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 - February 08 ,2003

SAVE THE SWILLY MEETS INISHOWEN POLITICIANS

A deputation from Save The Swilly, including Dr Andrew Cooper, the principal author of the Scoping Study for an ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) Strategy for Lough Swilly, met members of the Inishowen Electoral Area Committee in Carndonagh this week.

Mr Tony Morrison, chairman of Save The Swilly, and Mr John Niven, representing commercial fishermen, were also present. Councillors and TDs of all parties attended the meeting, and the overwhelming majority agreed that Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) was a solution to the "piecemeal" approach to managing Lough Swilly adopted by the Department of the Marine so far.

Dr Cooper, who heads the University of Ulster (Coleraine) Coastal Studies Research Group, told the Inishowen politicians that an Integrated Coastal Zone Management plan should be holistic, in that it must represent all interests, and aim to meet all the objectives of the people for whom it is designed.

"Save The Swilly does not have ambitions to manage Lough Swilly," said Mr Morrison, "and we hope that message got through to the councillors. Our only interest is that a sensible management plan be adopted for the Swilly, so that everyone is given a fair hearing, and a fair share of resources. In fact, we believe the Donegal County Council is the logical lead agency in any management plan for Lough Swilly."

Save The Swilly will now approach the Donegal County Development Board and the Electoral Area Committee for Letterkenny and Milford, to arrange similar presentations.

"Lough Swilly is not only about the water. It is about the shores and the people on the shores. Lough Swilly belongs to everyone, and that must be the starting point for any strategy," said Mr Morrison.

In difficult economic conditions, a key issue for the development of a coordinated management plan for the lough is likely to be funding, and this issue was also addressed by the STS deputation. Funding is available through various cross-border and European agencies for coastal management plans, and STS will be providing more information about this aspect to County Council officials.

While it is acknowledged that a management plan for Lough Swilly acceptable to all stakeholders is a challenge, most of the Inishowen public representatives recognise that a plan is essential. There are various conflicts at work in the lough, and these are not being resolved or even addressed by the Department of the Marine in many cases. The logic in an ICZM plan is to incorporate all plans for Lough Swilly, including commercial fishing, angling, tourism, aquaculture and land-based activities, into an overall strategy.

"I believe the Inishowen political representatives generally accept that solutions are needed, and the only workable plan is one that incorporates all interests," said Mr Morrison. "The aquaculture sector already has its own Coordinated Local Aquaculture Management Systems (CLAMS), which has been supported financially and politically by the Department of the Marine. Now we need a plan that embraces all interests."

It is hoped that STS will be given an opportunity to meet all elected representatives in the Lough Swilly area in the next few months. Plans are also under way to source funding for the development of an ICZM strategy.

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