Fish farm opponents vow to forge ahead with campaign

Date Published: 04-Mar-2013

BY CIARAN TIERNEY

A formal complaint has been lodged with the Ombudsman for Local Government in relation to the proposed €100 million fish farm for Galway Bay which was the subject of a protest demonstration involving 2,000 people in the city centre on Saturday.

Campaigning group Friends of the Irish Environment, who joined the protest march from Eyre Square to the Spanish Arch on Saturday, say that the proposal to locate the farm on a 456 hectare site near the Aran Islands undermines the current National Development Plan (NDP).

They have complained to the Ombudsman on the basis that the Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) plan undermines the NDP 2007 – 2013, which placed a moratorium on the expansion of salmon farming until the sea lice issue has been addressed.

Concerns over the impact which 7.2 million farmed fish could

have on wild fish stock in Galway Bay were prominent when over 20 angling protest groups took part in Saturday’s demonstration.

Groups such as Inland Fisheries Ireland, An Taisce, and Save Galway Bay have issued a number of statements in opposition to the BIM plan, because sea life infestation remains a concern at ‘open caged’ fish farms.

During the demonstration, Icelandic entrepreneur Orri Vigfusson warned that the proposed BIM development could “destroy” wild salmon stocks in the West of Ireland.

A number of speakers at the Spanish Arch refuted claims by BIM that fish farms do not cause environmental pollution.

They expressed concerns that BIM would use “toxic” chemicals to kill parasites and questioned where the waste from 7.2 million caged salmon would go with the tides in Galway Bay.

“We thought the march was successful, as it attracted people from all over the country who were concerned about the environment,” said Brian Curran of the Federation of Irish Salmon and Sea Trout Anglers yesterday.

“This campaign is only really getting off the ground. BIM said on their website six months ago that they intended to build nine other fish farms of a similar size all along the coast.

“Our concern is that they will have no control over the weather, sea lice, or waste, with these open cages in Galway Bay. The waste from this farm would be laced with chemicals, pesticides which are toxic.”

Mr Curran said there were concerns over leaks from the proposed farm in stormy weather and said any such facility should be located on land to prevent potential damage to the marine environment.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.