Kerry councillors condemn approval for commercial salmon farm to continue, despite serious breaches

The licence was revoked in 2019 when it was found to have harvested twice the allowed tonnes of salmon in 2016

The farm in Ballinskelligs Bay has 'decimated' valuable local sea-trout, wild salmon and a centuries-old tourism angling industry, councillors told a meeting. File picture: Dan Linehan

Councillors in Kerry have strongly criticised a decision by the Aquaculture Licence Appeals Board to allow a commercial salmon farm by a Norwegian parent company to continue at an island in Ballinskelligs Bay — despite what conservation bodies say are serious breaches.

The farm has “decimated” valuable local sea-trout, wild salmon and a centuries-old tourism angling industry, councillors told a meeting where it was decided to write to the minister for the marine Martin Heydon as well as to ALAB.