Anglers voice concerns over State’s fish farm grants

Anglers in the West of Ireland have raised concerns about why the State is continuing to provide grant aid to a group of Connemara fish farms when the businesses have persistently lost money and when fish farming provides little employment.

In recent months, the Department of Agriculture announced the transfer, to a new company, of salmon farming licences from five operators who received up to €4.5m in State funding since the 1980s.

According to Salmonwatch Ireland, the original five licensees also owe up to €378,340 in aquaculture and foreshore licences payments to the department.