asked the Minister for the Marine if allegations made by the anti-rod licence campaign that the projected tonnage of farm salmon for 1990 viz. 10,000 tonnes will create an amount of pollution equivalent to the effluent produced by a city of 8 million population are true; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Farm Salmon Pollution.
149.
The projects referred to by the Deputy are grossly exaggerated. The projected effluent from 10,000 metric tonnes of salmon farm production is estimated by my Department to be equivalent to a population of 145,000 people spread from Donegal to south-east Cork. This effluent cannot really be compared to domestic sewage, since it is really biodegradable and does not contain many of the chemical contaminants of domestic sewage as normally discharged.