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The licence was revoked in 2019 when it was found to have harvested twice the allowed tonnes of salmon in 2016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

The licence to Silver Kings Seafood Ltd, of MOWI Ireland — first issued in 1995 — was revoked in 2019 when it was found to have harvested twice the allowed tonnes of salmon in 2016.

The farm is within 9kms of the world-renowned Lough Currane angling lake fished by Charlie Chaplin, Tiger Woods and others.

Salmon Watch Ireland is seeking changes in legislation which allows aquaculture farms in breach of licence to continue to operate once they appeal and seek renewal of licences.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

MOWI Ireland appealed in 2019 and said it was properly maintaining the Deenish site and the licence terms were out of date, taking too long to renew and not commercially viable. It said discontinuing the licence was "disproportionate".

No harvesting of salmon had taken place within the pens on the site so there was no blood water and therefore there was no breach of the relevant condition.

The appeals process was extended on around 10 separate occasions and took six years before a determination.

Salmon Watch Ireland said the farm was “a reservoir for sea lice, disease and other pathogens which have driven the regional stocks of sea trout into crisis". The once famous destination for local, national and international visitors from April to October was now almost extinguished, it said.

Aquaculture Licence Appeals Board decision

In its decision to allow the farm to continue, the Aquaculture Licence Appeals Board (ALAB) said there had been no evidence of damage to the environment as a result of breach, and a revocation would have “adverse effects on the local economy”.

But the ALAB also said there was “an absence of graduated sanctions” as well as alternative enforcement mechanisms under the legislation. 

The delay — the decision was only arrived at in September — was down to requests for further information, consultations with parties and observers, technical report preparation, legal advice, and a court-imposed stay as well as the volume of appeals the ALAB had to deal with.

Anger was expressed at a meeting of Kerry County Council after a motion put forward by west Kerry councillor Robert Brosnan.

The farm had a detrimental impact on the local environment and the local economy around Waterville, he said.

Waterville Councillor Norma Moriarty seconded the motion.

“The capitulation of our own authorities in respect of this is completely incredible. It is negatively impacting thousands of jobs,” she said.

Salmon Watch Ireland is now seeking an urgent meeting with Mr Heydon asking him to safeguard Ireland’s wild salmon. It is asking the minister to close “the shield” which allowed fish farms to operate while they lodged appeals against breaches.

This article was funded by the Local Democracy Scheme