WILD SALMON MINISTER MC HUGH SPEAKS LIKE A TRUE CHAMPION FOR SALMON FARMING
As our campaign continues in full sail against the ten mega salmon farm plan by Simon Coveney TD Minister for Agriculture and Marine, a Dail committee heard from a Minister whose job it is to oppose such toxic pollution proposals. FISSTA were astounded to hear the new Minister of State for Communications, Energy, Natural Resources and the Gaeltacht Joe McHugh TD speaking with the conviction of a farmed salmon salesman on the merits of salmon farming and the ’20 years of delays in licensing them’ . Mc Hugh was Speaking at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Gaeltacht, where he chose a script that anyone would be forgiven for believing came from Marine Harvest or BIM. This was one of the first opportunities the new Minister had to outline his vision for wild salmon fisheries and instead he championed the cause of the fish farmers. FISSTA Chairman Paul Lawton stated this evening that “Earlier this month FISSTA highlighted the details as recorded in the minutes of a high level meeting in government buildings last January in which the industry sought their own champion within Government to support Simon Coveney as line minister. It is the measure of such influence when not only does An Taoiseach comply with the request but in the same order we lose our wild salmon champion to the other side. How can this government throw a sustainable angling tourism business of Ôé¼750m to the fish farming sharks that have left a trail of environmental debris for marine users to clean up.” Asks Paul Lawton.
Sent from the desk of
Noel Carr Secretary FISSTA
Federation of Irish Salmon & Seatrout Anglers.
Address: Teelin Rd. Carrick. Co. Donegal Office Tel: 00353 749730300
Mobile. 00353872352001
Email. Dgl1@indigo.ie