Constructive meeting of GALWAY BAY AGAINST SALMON CAGES in Menlo park hotel last Sunday with many groups attending to voice support for the many campaigns against Minister Coveney’s ten fish farm plan.
Below is an extract from GBASC press statement.
Issued by Brian E. Curran PRO Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages Mob: 0872509722.
Press Release
Group meet in Galway to halt expansion plans of B.I.M.
A joint meeting of angling and environmental groups from all over Ireland met in the Menlo Park Hotel, Galway on Sunday 26th January to discuss a national strategy to defeat plans to expand open salmon cages along the western seaboard. Delegates heard that B.I.M. is actively engaged in the preparation of further Environmental Impact Statements for nine other salmon farming sites in Galway, (2) Inishturk in Mayo and Goal in Donegal.
It is believed that the capacity of these installations will be up to 14.4m salmon each, fully automated with few employed. Serious damage is expected to occur to the livelihood of inshore fishermen as the use of pesticides to kill diseases and parasites from such huge intensive numbers of farmed salmon, will kill small lobsters, crab and shrimp.
Anglers and tourist interests expressed grave concerns that their sectors also would be decimated and major job losses and loss of income would occur as all salmon rivers within a 30k radius of cages would have their young salmon returning to sea, eaten alive by lice from salmon installations. This has already happened to sea trout in Connemara, Donegal and Kerry, locations where salmon are caged in the marine.
Delegates questioned why the fin fish aquaculture sector, which has the Irish Farmers Association support and backing, is permitted to operate without controls. There was anger that on land, no farmer was permitted to pollute waterways with waste and pesticides yet the marine was being degraded by the activities of the salmon farming industry. Plans will now be put in place to increase public awareness of the folly of salmon cages in the marine at the expense of existing inshore fishing, angling and tourism jobs. Ends
Picture right to left :Tommy Casserly, Billy Smyth, Brian Curran,
************************
Representatives attending the meeting included:
Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages
Federation of Irish Salmon and Sea Trout Anglers
Salmon Watch Ireland
Save Bantry Bay
Galway Bay Protection Group
Dodder Anglers
National Anglers Representative Association
Carra Mask Corrib Water Protection Group
Friends of the Irish Environment
No Salmon Farms at Sea
Inshore Fishermen representatives
Fisheries managers from Boluisce and Costello Fisheries
Corrib Anglers Federation/ Trout Angling Federation of Ireland
B&B owners and tourist / food interests
End ÔÇô
Brian E. Curran PRO Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages