Government withholds report into Donegal fish farm disaster

THE Government last night withheld publication of an interim report into the massive fish farm disaster in Donegal.

The report is expected to dismiss as remote the prospect of harbour dredging being responsible for the massive fish kill. Scientists are adamant the cause was a water borne irritant, biological or chemical in nature.

The Department of Marine and Natural Resources has ruled out compensation for fish farmers, whose losses are expected to top 4m. More than 300,000 caged salmon mysteriously died during a 10-day spell earlier this month in Inver Bay.

The interim report completed yesterday by the Marine Institute was submitted to the minister.

It is expected to be made public today.

However, the Irish Salmon Growers Association called on Marine Minister Dermot Ahern and his department to do everything in their power to help.

“Financially, these companies are on their knees and the minister needs to work with the industry to ensure jobs are secured,” said spokesman Richie Flynn.

But a department spokesperson said: “Compensation is not as issue. There’s no way the taxpayer will foot the bill for any private enterprises’ misadventure. The companies should have insurance or other some method of making good their losses.

“What happened was terrible but there’s no question of any State assistance.”

The department also insisted scientific and engineering advice ruled out dredging as a likely cause of the mortalities. But the salmon growers’ group rejected this claim.

Mr Flynn said: “If the department and Marine Institute had inspected the bay when the dredging was going on, they would have observed the damage at that stage.

“The minister has responsibilities to the industry.”

Mr Flynn said it came as no surprise to fish farmers that the interim report was inconclusive.

“The industry’s concerns are continuing to mount about a department which last year relegated marine to the second division. The fish farming industries remains at the bottom of that division due to continuing inaction by the minister.

“It’s not good enough to have an interim report which cannot identify the cause of a disaster. If that kind of disaster occurred in any other sector, there would be outrage.

“From our point of view, we are not looking for a direction from the minister but action.

“The companies affected deserve support. This was a disaster not of their making.”