Salmon farming

Inland Fisheries Ireland, a statutory body under the aegis of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, published a report this week that challenges the advisability of Bord Iascaigh Mhara’s plans for Europe’s largest salmon farms at two sites off Galway.

Its conclusion that the proposal represented a real threat to wild fish stocks was based on a “definitive review of over 300 scientific publications”. IFI, with scientists from Norway and Scotland, concluded fish farms do have a serious impact on sea trout. Many interested parties believe salmon are affected by fish farms too.

BIM has consistently challenged this view and said, in response to the IFI report, that it does “not believe that this review has any implications... for a salmon farming licence in Galway Bay”.