Aquaculture projects are licensed under the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1997. The licensing process involves consultation with a broad range of expert organisations in relation to licence applications, advertisement of the applications in the local press and assessment of objections prior to decisions on licensing. Decisions to license or not to license are publicly advertised so as to allow any aggrieved person to appeal to the independent aquaculture licences appeals board. In the absence of appeals, licensing proceeds one month after publication of notice of the decision to license.
Notwithstanding that thorough going process, it has recently come to light that some of the area licensed for mussel cultivation in Lough Swilly includes some native oyster beds. My Department has arranged for a comprehensive survey to be conducted – under the supervision of An Bord Iascaigh Mhara – to identify all native oyster beds in Lough Swilly and with local fishermen participating as observers. That survey is expected to be completed soon and will be acted upon by my Department in terms of appropriate modification of the mussel licences in question and as a basis for drawing up a development plan for native oyster production in Lough Swilly.
