410 fish farm submissions lodged

A total of 410 valid submissions about the proposed construction of a giant fish farm off the North Clare coast were made to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, it was confirmed in the Dáil last week.
Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) is applying for a license to facilitate the development of a deep-sea salmon farm in Galway Bay at two sites northeast of Inis Oirr. The proposed farm will have two identical units at a northern and southern site and will be able to produce 15,000 tonnes of organic-certified salmon each year.
Fishing and community groups have raised concerns about the size and scale of the farm and about sea lice, escaped fish, waste and the impact on wild salmon stocks. Hundreds of people took to the streets of Galway in recent weeks protesting against the proposed farm.
Last week, Galway West Government TD Sean Kyne called on the minister to provide greater “transparency in all issues” relating to the fish farm.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, said he understood that some people are concerned about this project, while many people support it. “When one is doing something new in Ireland, concerns are always expressed, which is as it should be. That is why we need to follow a procedure, which we are doing. That procedure is consistent with the legislation. I will take the advice of my department and the scientists in the Marine Institute on this application, as I do for other aquaculture and fin fish farming applications as and when they arise. It is important to apply the same standards to this project as to others, so we will follow the procedure to the letter.”
Minister Coveney was responding to a call by the Fine Gael TD to “publish the scientific research, as well as responses by BIM to queries regarding the EIS on the environmental impact of the proposed salmon fish farm in Galway Bay off the coast of Aran and to address all concerns”.
Deputy Kyne said he believed that questions remained to be answered in relation to the project.
“The board of Inland Fisheries Ireland has indicated concerns about the location and scale of the proposed salmon farm and how its development and operation could impact on wild salmon and sea trout stocks and their habitat. These concerns are based on scientific reports by respected authors and knowledge of the impact of existing fish farms on salmon and sea trout populations off the west coast of Ireland.
“Sea lice would have devastating effects on wild salmon, as they account for up to 39% of salmon mortalities according to recent peer-reviewed international scientific literature. Concerns have also been expressed about the associated loss of jobs in the recreational angling and tourism sector if the development proceeds without adequate environmental protections being in place,” he said.
Deputy Kyne called on the minister to publish the responses from BIM to his Department with regard to the queries and concerns of local groups about the environmental impact statement.
“We need transparency in all issues and in this case it would allay fears and allow local groups, anglers, individuals and Inland Fisheries Ireland know exactly what BIM is applying to do before any decision is made. I appreciate the minister and the department will ultimately have to make the decision. I understand they will receive advice or a lead opinion from the Irish Marine Institute but it is important the responses to the scientific facts are known.
The minister said, “All aspects of the Galway Bay application are currently being examined by my department in conjunction with its scientific, engineering, technical and legal advisers. All submissions received as part of both the statutory consultation stage of the process and the general public consultation stage will form an integral part of my department’s consideration of the application. It is important to note that the legislation provides for extensive consultation with stakeholders, including Inland Fisheries Ireland, which has responsibility for wild salmon stocks.”
The minister said it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the merits or otherwise of the project “pending the completion of the formal assessment process by my Department”.
Minister Coveney also pointed out that legislation provides for a possible appeal of the ministerial decision to the Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board.
Deputy Kyne told the Dáil, “There is widespread concern in the locality about this matter. The responses to the queries pertaining to the application from BIM should be published. All the information should be put out there to enable everybody who has a genuine concern about the possible impact of such a large-scale project, including the IFI, local angling groups and those involved in tourism, to air their views. If they had that information as well as all the responses, they would be better able to judge whether all the facts were there and, if so, whether they were correct.”
“BIM states that 90% of salmon smolts from river catchments travel along the coastline up to the North Atlantic, yet local angling groups and the IFI state that 90% of the same salmon smolts swim deep into Galway Bay. Which piece of advice is the correct one? Facts should be indisputable but unfortunately we are getting two sets of facts. We need to know which is correct before any decision is made. It is imperative that all the scientific data is available so that it can be fully assessed. Before a decision is made, people should be confident that everything can be examined in a transparent manner.”
The minister said he hoped to make a decision on the project “in the not too distant future” and would take into account valid submissions and advice from the Marine Institute.