Aquaculture in Lough Swilly
| Background to the issue | Arguments for development | Arguments against development |
Opponents to aquaculture in Lough Swilly believe that the Department of
the Marine, the government department in the Republic of Ireland responsible
for fishing and fish stocks, has decided to designate Lough Swilly for
aquaculture. The published maps of existing and proposed aquaculture installations
for finfish, such as salmon, and shellfish, such as mussels, show that
considerable expansion is planned.
Aquaculture,
which already operates in Lough Swilly, is said to cover a water surface
area of more than 400 hectares, and the Department of the Marine do not
disclose how much expansion in Lough Swilly is proposed. However the Department
of the Marine are very supportive of the aquaculture industry in general
– their objective is to more than double aquaculture in Ireland by
2008. Opponents object to this support, as the same government agency
is responsible for protecting the marine resources of the country as is
responsible for promoting aquaculture which could damage those resources.
Many locals are concerned about:
Water quality in Lough Swilly
Opponents to fish farming maintain that the health risks are real. They
claim that up to 19 different chemicals are regularly required and legally
approved in the production of farmed salmon, for example. These range
from pesticides to control the growth of pests that can proliferate in
the salmon cages, anti-fouling paints to prevent the growth of seaweeds
on the cages and nets, and antibiotics to control disease. These chemicals,
along with faeces and excess food, can pollute the water or gather as
sediment on the seabed.
Food safety
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants that
are produced by a number of industrial processes. Consumption of PCBs
is toxic to humans above certain levels. A recent BBC programme 'Warnings
from the Wild - The Price of Salmon' examined the level of PCBs in fish
food fed to farmed salmon and suggested that this was the principal source
of PCB contamination of the fish. The feed is allegedly contaminated by
the fish oil and meal used to make it – these ingredients mainly
come from the processing of wild fish.
Tourism
and visual quality
While an increase in employment is often used to justify increased aquaculture
development, it is estimated that, at present, Lough Swilly aquaculture
employs no more than 20 people. Those who oppose an increase in the scale
of the aquaculture industry are calling for a freeze in aquaculture licensing,
but accept that existing installations can remain, securing these jobs.
It is argued that many more people in Inishowen and in Fanad depend on
tourism, directly and indirectly, for their income. If Lough Swilly loses
those qualities of unspoilt beauty, scenic routes, wild fish angling,
clean seawater and safe beaches, that make the area attractive to tourists
then jobs will be threatened as tourism investors seek to develop elsewhere.
Some claim that visitor amenities suffer with aquaculture developments,
as pleasure boating, diving, and other water sports find areas closed
to them. Mr Mulcahy of the Save the Swilly group claims that “Tourism
providers (hotel owners, tour guides) relate frequent complaints about
the sight - and smell - of nearby fish cages”.
It is estimated that around six hundred people are employed in hotels,
guest-houses and B&B establishments alone around Lough Swilly. Opponents
to aquaculture developments believe that Ireland’s reputation as
a clean and unspoilt part of Europe, so sought after by tourists from
around the world, is at risk. If this reputation is lost, the cost to
tourism and food industries will be colossal.
Protection of native species
There is concern worldwide about the decline in wild salmon stocks and
many people point at fish farming as the cause of such decline. The precise
reason why fish farms should impact on wild salmon in this way is not
known, but there is suspicion that sea lice which commonly infest farmed
salmon can transfer themselves to wild salmon and lead to a spread in
diseases.
Navigation
If a development to the present aquaculture sites is permitted, many areas
of Lough Swilly will no longer be available for commercial shellfish fishermen.
While much of the equipment used in aquaculture is sub-surface, nevertheless
this prevents both fishing and pleasure boats from using the area. Many
small-scale fishermen rely on the Lough, as their craft are not sufficiently
large to brave the Atlantic storms in winter. The loss to fishing of areas
of the Lough will have a significant impact on these fishermen. More than
80 people are permanently employed in commercial fishing around Lough
Swilly, with another 200 seasonal jobs.
Conservation
The EC Directorate-General for the Environment has already conveyed their
concerns about aquaculture expansion in Lough Swilly's Special Protection
Areas to the Irish government. Habitats for migrating and native wildfowl
are under threat.
The Save The Swilly group is concerned that the government are not consulting
local people when granting licenses for aquaculture enterprises in Lough
Swilly. In addition, it is felt that the environmental and economic impact
of aquaculture is not being properly assessed, and that the serious objections
of local people are being ignored.
A petition, launched on 13th January 2001, demanded a moratorium on all
further aquaculture licensing in Lough Swilly until an independent study
of the issue was done. So far, more than 5,000 signatures have been gathered.
