Council issues warning letter to fish farm operator

Galway County Council have issued another warning letter to a Connemara fish farming company over the alleged illegal extraction of water from a lake near Kilkieran Bay.

The latest warning letter was issued by the Council on August 3 last in relation to an unauthorised installation of a pipeline and abstraction pumping system from Loch an Mhuillinn into Cloonawilleen Bay.

The issue has been brought to the attention of the County Council on a number of occasions by Billy Smyth, Chairman of the Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages group.

Mr Smyth made the complaint in relation to Bradán Beo Teo who he said had ‘again set up’ a pipe and pumping system to extract fresh water from Lough an Muileann (aka Loch an Mhuilinn) at Gorumna Island in South Connemara.

According to Mr Smyth, the Council had sent a previous warning letter to Bradán Teo in July, 2015, as it had been deemed at the time to be an illegal development.

“If it turns out that there is again no planning permission for this development in spite of the warnings issued last year from your department, then the maximum penalties must be imposed on Bradán Teo,” Mr Smyth states.

Last year, the Galway Against Salmon Cages group said that millions of litres of water were being taken from the lake that is well known for its stock of trout.

The latest letter sent by the Enforcement and Building Control section of the Council’s Planning and Development Department, states that ‘it has come to their attention that an unauthorised development may have been, is being, or may be carried out by you’.

Addressed to Thomas O’Toole, Maumeen, Ballinakill, the letter warns that any person carrying out an unauthorised development shall be guilty of an offence pursuant to Section 151 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000.

In September 2015, Galway Co. Council wrote warning letters to Bradán Marine Teo and Marine Harvest in relation to the extraction of fresh water from a lake near Kilkieran Bay.

Back in November, 2012, State agency, Udarás na Gaeltachta, announced the potential to create 100 new jobs with the start of the Bradán Beo Teo fish farming enterprise at Kilkieran Bay.