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”.

One of the two agencies must be wrong, as their positions are so very contradictory. During the debate on the Aran plans, BIM — whose mandate is commercial — dismissed any view that did not concur with its own, even if it was offered by IFI’s Government scientists. IFI’s principal function “is the protection and conservation of the inland fisheries resource”.

The European Court of Auditors reported this week that some EU aquaculture projects — none in Ireland — were a waste of money and did not deliver on jobs promises, so the industry is, like it or not, under a cloud. The very least that should happen is that plans for Aran be put on hold until this conflict is resolved in a way that ensures the protection of wild fish stocks. If other stakeholders cannot be convinced that the BIM assessment is plausible, then a new set of questions arises.