The discovery of natural gas on the Corrib field 38 miles due west of Erris Head has given rise to great hope, controversy and a number of legitimate concerns. One of the groups for which I speak here is the Erris Inshore Fishermen's Association, which has about 150 members and represents fishermen from Blacksod Bay to Ballyglass and Porturlin and its environs. Most of these fishermen have trawlers ranging from 50 feet down in size, with crews of three or four. They have no objection, as such, to bringing natural gas ashore in the national interest but they have a legitimate concern about the proposal by Enterprise Oil to put the discharge pipe from the terminal at Ballinaboy at a point six kilometres west from Glengad Point.
The site for the terminal was chosen by Enterprise Oil on the basis of economics and ease of laying grounds. However, due to the canal connection at Belmullet and the flow direction of Achill Sound, Broadhaven and Blacksod Bays do not empty into the open sea on the ebb tide or fill from the open sea on the flow. Broadhaven Bay empties into Blacksod Bay and fills in the reverse direction.
On a test carried out by Enterprise Oil, the dispersal of the dye from that test was found a considerable distance inside Sruwaddacon Bay, which means that any discharge from the pipe at the point proposed by Enterprise Oil will flow back into Broadhaven Bay. It means also that the scrubbing of the gas at the terminal point will include discharges of mercury, barium, cadmium and cobalt. The produced water will also have a heavy solidity content and regardless of the quantities, this will affect juvenile fish stocks. I assume that as further blocks of seabed are explored in the years ahead, and when other natural gas sources are found, these will be connected to the existing terminal point 38 miles west of Erris Head.
My point is that the Minister, at least for the moment, is the political protector of the livelihoods of the Erris inshore fishermen who have a very legitimate concern. As Enterprise Oil will lay two pipes from the well 38 miles west to Ballinaboy, it should be feasible, both economically and in the best interests of the fishermen's livelihood, to lay a third pipe, a discharge pipe, back into the well at source. It would mean that none of the contaminated or heavily salinated water would be discharged into Broadhaven Bay. Without the pipe, tidal conditions and the terrain of the land would wash the water back into the bay, inevitably affecting juvenile fish stocks and thus the livelihoods of the fishermen. The laying of a third pipe would also be in line with the OSPAR Convention for best available techniques. In 1999 £5 billion was spent on underwater and seabed technology and the project carried out at Troll in Norway has proven to be a success.
Mayo County Council has granted planning permission for the terminal, which is being appealed. While we genuinely share the vision and concept of bringing gas ashore, equally, we should take the very legitimate concerns of these 150 fishermen, their families and livelihoods into account. The way to do this effectively and permanently is to bring the discharge pipe back out to the well at source and return the discharge waters to the well from whence they came in the first instance.
