Protests planned ahead of Bantry kelp harvesting

Campaigners opposed to kelp being harvested in Bantry Bay are planning a protest, while the company that secured the licence has rejected claims made against it and suggests the public has been “misled”.

Tralee-based BioAtlantis intends to begin harvesting kelp from July 4 and says it has complied with every element of the regulatory process.

The plan to harvest the seaweed has sparked considerable opposition. A judicial review into aspects of the ministerial signing-off of the licence is also likely, but the company has said there is no legal impediment to harvesting getting underway.