Committee to discuss future of aquaculture with angling representatives

The Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine will tomorrow afternoon meet with representatives of the Federation of Irish Salmon and Sea Trout Anglers (FISSTA), who will outline their perspective on plans to develop offshore fish farming in the coming years.

Established in 1986, the FISSTA is an all-Ireland representative body for salmon and seatrout angling with 20,000 members in 90 affiliated salmon and sea trout clubs located on the main Irish angling waterways.

Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee Andrew Doyle TD said: “In April, the Committee heard from representatives from Bord Iascaigh Mhara, who have been actively engaged in spearheading an ambitious aquaculture and fish farming development off the Aran Islands. Our Committee, which strongly supports the sustainable exploitation of our marine resources, seeks to explore the perspective on these developments of the angling community.”

“As a strong voice for the conservation of salmon, the Federation expressed deep unease to Minister Coveney about the development of ten fish farming sites off the Irish coast this year. We look forward to hearing the Federation’s concerns around the future development of aquaculture in the marine environment tomorrow afternoon.”

The meeting takes place at 2 p.m. tomorrow morning Tuesday 26 June 2012 in Committee Room 3, LH 2000. Committee proceedings can be followed live at: http://bit.ly/xMg2nJ

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For further information contact:
Paul Hand,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 6949926
F: +3531 618 4551
paul.hand@oireachtas.ie