26 Jun 2012, 17:16
The Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine heard a wide-ranging briefing from representatives of the Federation of Irish Salmon and Sea Trout Anglers (FISSTA), who outlined their concerns on proposed offshore fish farming development 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. Noel Carr and Paul Lawton of the FISSTA told the Committee of the threat of the developments as outlined to Ireland’s angling tourism industry, estimated to be worth €100 million annually.
Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee Andrew Doyle TD said: “Our Committee heard the deep concerns expressed by Mr Carr and Mr Lawton on the ambitious plans currently outlined for aquaculture developments off the Irish coast. The angling representatives advocate the use of onshore containment tanks as opposed to sea cages proposed in the developments.
“Our Committee is currently engaged on seeking the optimum way forward to sustainably develop our marine resources, which strikes a balance between the distinct concerns between the commercial aquaculture industry and sport anglers. A potential exists for Ireland to join Scotland and Norway as leading producers of salmon in Europe, with significant employment opportunities in our coastal communities. However, we agree that Ireland’s enviable reputation for food production must not be compromised and any development of aquaculture must have minimal impact on our wild salmon stocks.
“As is appropriate in dealing with such a complex and contentious issue, our Committee intends to engage with all stakeholders in this sector to hear a variety of informed opinion before reaching any conclusions.”
Ends
For further information contact:
Paul Hand,
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paul.hand@oireachtas.ie