Vol. 536 No. 4
88 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the estimate of the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences that a fish farm producing one hundred tons of salmon in 2000 produces the equivalent in untreated waste of a small town; if farming on this scale exists here; and if so, the location. [14486/01]
The overall objective of Government policy is to support the sustainable development of the aquaculture sector in harmony with other marine users and with the environment. The capacity of any water body is dependent on a wide variety of factors at any one time. In this context it should be noted that aquaculture depends fundamentally on a clean environment.
Independent reviews of water quality data relating to Irish salmon farms carried out since 1990 have all shown that there is no evidence that fish farming has had any significant impacts on the marine environment. Irish marine finfish farms are located at sites off the northern, south western and western seaboard and the licensed production of all farms exceeds 100 tonnes per annum.
Each application for aquaculture licensing is assessed against a range of parameters including, site, location and environmental impact. All finfish farming licensing proposals must be accompanied by a detailed environmental impact statement as to the potential impact of waste on the receiving environment. The composition of waste derived from salmon farms differs considerably from domestic or industrial waste and does not contain pathogenic bacteria or viruses of potential human health significance, or indeed heavy metals.
Ongoing technical improvements in production methods and dramatic improvements in food conversion ratios have contributed to a steady significant reduction in the waste organic matter and nutrients output per kilogram of fish produced. Technological developments have also facilitated operations at high energy offshore sites with excellent water exchange and have resulted in a significantly more efficient and environmentally sustainable industry.
Stringent management practices and controls governing the operation of fish farms are in place and monitored. In May 2000, five aquaculture protocols were introduced by my Department with the support of the fish farming industry as part of an overall strategy to underpin the highest environmental standards for the Irish aquaculture sector. The protocols include requirements that all finfish farms must have in place comprehensive monitoring programmes covering both the water column and sediments.
