I welcome the invitation to address the Seanad on the subject of aquaculture. I wish to avail of the opportunity to advise the House of the current state of the industry, its prospects for the years ahead and the action required if we are to ensure that its potential for further sustainable growth and development is to be achieved.
Aquaculture worldwide has undergone considerable expansion and development over recent decades. Growth since 1990 has been of the order of 10% per annum and the Food and Agriculture Organisation's 2002 report, State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture, indicates that aquaculture is growing more rapidly than any other animal food sector. Production, including aquatic plants, is estimated by the FAO to have reached over 45 million tonnes in 2000.
Like the industry worldwide, Irish aquaculture has undergone extensive change and expansion over recent decades. If we look back to 1979, production in that year is estimated to have been of the order of 4,000 tonnes and was made up in large part of native oysters, bottom-cultivated mussels and trout. By 2002, however, production had increased to some 62,000 tonnes, valued at €117 million. Some 90% of this production was exported. This is equivalent to 1,600 full-time jobs in the industry.
In 2002, production comprised 38,000 tonnes of shellfish, valued at €30 million, and 24,000 tonnes of finfish valued at €82 million. Shellfish production has seen the emergence of new areas of production, including rope cultivation of mussels as well as Pacific oysters. Finfish production now consists primarily of the farming of Atlantic salmon.
We have now reached a stage where the industry plays a central role in the economic life of many periphery coastal communities, where there may be few, if any, alternative employment opportunities. The Operational Programme for Fisheries, 1994-99, played a key role in supporting its development in the last decade through the provision of €15 million in EU and Exchequer funding. Over the lifetime of the operational programme, the value of the industry's output rose from €51 million to over €87 million. Notwithstanding the considerable growth that has taken place, the industry is widely accepted as having the potential for further growth and development. For example, a report prepared by consultants engaged by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, CIRCA, predicted that output could grow very substantially over the next decade.
Recognising this further potential, the national development plan provided over €30 million in EU and Exchequer grant assistance for the industry over the period of the plan. This assistance is carefully focused on the achievement of a number of core objectives, including the attainment of critical mass in the production of key species, the implementation of quality improvement programmes, the promotion of diversification and the introduction of new technology.
Achievement of the industry's potential will require a committed approach on the part of the industry to seizing the available opportunities, as well as the effective discharge by the State bodies concerned of their specific regulatory and developmental responsibilities. The industry must be market-driven, focused on producing top quality output that meets demanding consumer requirements and is capable of holding its own in highly competitive international marketplaces. It must also show itself to be responsive to changing circumstances. This means, for example, that it must be open to possibilities such as new production methods or diversification.
Rather than relying on a straight-line expansion of existing means and areas of production, the industry must be prepared to consider possibilities such as the farming of new species and the adoption of innovative farming techniques and practices. In the case of finfish farming, this could mean looking to species such as cod or sea bass and to the possibilities of offshore production. The State will, through IBM, Údarás na Gaeltachta and the Marine Institute, continue to play an active role in supporting and assisting the industry as it grows and develops.
It is clear also that the industry's potential can only be realised, and the future of existing operations secured, if it develops and operates on a sustainable basis and in accordance with high standards of environmental and ecological protection. As a natural resources based enterprise that is itself crucially dependent on a high quality environment, the industry has a particular responsibility to ensure that its operations are conducted in accordance with appropriate environmental standards and the relevant statutory requirements. Failure to do so could, apart from the serious legal issues involved, damage the reputation, competitive position and future prospects of the industry.
The State, for its part, has an important role to play in determining where aquaculture should be allowed and in ensuring that appropriate management and operational conditions are specified and enforced in respect of any operations that are permitted. These responsibilities fall to be discharged primarily through licensing of aquaculture operations and monitoring and control of licensed operations.
Aquaculture is regulated under the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997, which established a modern and effective licensing system for the industry. Applications for licences are made to the Department in the first instance and are determined by reference to considerations specified in the 1997 Act. These include the likely environmental and economic impacts of the proposal and the suitability of the waters concerned for the activity proposed. It is open to any person to make submissions on a licence application and anybody may appeal to the independent Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board against a licensing decision.
There is, therefore, an open and transparent process that ensures full account is taken of all considerations and points of view before a decision is made on the granting of a licence. Where a licence is granted, it is subject to specified terms and conditions. In the case of shellfish farming, for example, the conditions may include requirements as to the layout of trestles or longlines in the interests of visual amenity. Licences for finfish farms include conditions dealing with matters such as permitted production levels, site management, sea lice control, preparation of emergency plans and reporting of specified events.
Marine finfish farms must also comply with the terms of protocols promulgated by the Department, following consultation, in 2000. These cover matters including benthic and environmental monitoring, fallowing of sites and lice control. Monitoring and control of aquaculture operation is carried out by the Department, with the advice and assistance of the Marine Institute, to ensure that fish farming is conducted in accordance with the applicable standards and requirements. Marine Institute staff visit each finfish farm 14 times a year for the purpose of sea lice monitoring and control. They also carry out fish health inspections and operate a residues monitoring programme.
Fish farm inspections are also carried out by officials of the Department. For example, its engineering division has carried out inspections of 35 marine finfish sites to date this year. Farm operations are, in addition, monitored through reports and returns that operators must make to the Department, including the results of benthic monitoring.
I emphasised earlier the importance for the industry and for the marine environment of ensuring that aquaculture is conducted in full compliance with licence terms and conditions and other applicable requirements and standards. I am, therefore, concerned by recent reports of instances of alleged departures from the high standards required of aquaculture operations. The House may be assured that any such case will be fully and rigorously investigated and that appropriate action, up to and including revocation of aquaculture licences, where justified, will be taken in the light of the results of the investigation.
While it would not be appropriate to comment in detail on specific cases, I can inform the House, by way of example, that a specific instance of alleged inappropriate disposal of fish mortalities has been investigated and that the advice of legal services has been sought as to the further action that should be taken. A further major case of the apparent inappropriate disposal of fish mortalities and apparent breaches of aquaculture licence terms is currently under investigation and will be referred, as appropriate, for the advice of the legal services on appropriate action. I am determined that any other cases of this nature will be similarly investigated and followed up.
In addition to the investigation of specific cases, I have instructed the Department to initiate a comprehensive review of the procedures in place for monitoring and control of aquaculture and marine finfish farming in particular. The objective of this exercise will be to ensure that appropriate monitoring, control and enforcement processes are in place in respect of all aspects of the industry and that they operate as efficiently and effectively as possible. The review will be carried out by a unit established for the purpose and will be completed as a matter of priority.
The Department is also, in parallel with this review of monitoring and control arrangements, examining overall structures for the delivery of regulatory services in respect of the aquaculture industry. This review is fully in accordance with the commitment in the programme for Government to develop new devolved service structures to support the sustainable management, development and protection of the marine coastal zone and seafood resources. Proposals in this regard will be brought forward in the near future.
Voluntary initiatives such as quality schemes, management plans and codes of practice can play a significant role as a complement to formal monitoring and control and can also assist the industry by offering assurance to customers about operational practices and product quality. Third party accredited food quality assurance schemes, such as the Irish quality salmon, trout and mussel schemes, are already showing their worth. The aim should be to implement certification to EN 45001 standards right across the range of the industry's products.
The co-ordinated local aquaculture management systems, CLAMS, process involves the drawing up on an open and consultative basis of management plans for aquaculture in particular bays or regions. CLAMS groups are in operation in 15 areas and nine plans have been published to date. More recently, an environmental code of practice, ECOPACT, has been developed specifically to assist the industry to conduct its operations in accordance with best environmental practice. The code of practice will be implemented through CLAMS groups in the first instance and will be extended from there to the industry generally.
As Senators will be aware, some aspects of the aquaculture industry and its operations have been the subject of public comment recently. I wish to take this opportunity to clarify the position in respect of three of these matters, namely, sea lice at marine salmon farms, escapes of fish from those farms and the disposal of waste from them.
The complaints made against marine finfish farming include the alleged effects of sea lice from salmon farms on sea trout. This is an issue that has been hotly contested for many years, with the aquaculture industry and wild fishery interests taking fundamentally different positions as to the effects sea lice from salmon farms have had on sea trout numbers. While wild fishery interests have ascribed the decline in sea trout numbers primarily to infestation by sea lice from fish farms, the aquaculture industry has contended that no causal linkage has been demonstrated and that the sea trout problem is multifactorial in nature.
The Government, for its part, acted on a precautionary basis in accordance with environmental best practice and established a national programme for monitoring and controlling sea lice numbers at salmon farms. This system requires that action be taken at farm level when lice levels are much lower than the lice levels that would be tolerated without treatment in Norway or other countries. This programme involves 14 visits a year by Marine Institute personnel to each fish farm. If sea lice are detected at levels in excess of the very strict trigger levels that have been set in Ireland, the farm in question is required to administer appropriate approved treatment to the fish.
The monitoring and control system is well developed and allows remedial action to be prescribed at an early stage if it appears that problems are emerging with lice levels. I intend, however, to have the systems and procedures reviewed as part of the wider review of enforcement and control that has been initiated, with a view to ensuring that we have the best possible means of detection and control for the coming years.
Objections are also made against finfish farms on the grounds of the alleged effects of escapes from these farms on wild fisheries. Complainants argue, for example, that escaped fish interbreed with wild fish and contaminate the gene pool. There is an onus on fish farmers to take all appropriate measures to avoid escapes from their operations and to have plans in place for dealing with the containment of any escape that may occur. In the event of an escape, the fish farmer must notify the authorities and all possible steps must be taken to capture the escaped fish. The arrangements for preventing escapes, and for dealing with any that may occur, will also be examined in the overall review of enforcement and control arrangements.
In regard to waste arising from fish farm operations, I emphasise that there is an unequivocal obligation on all fish farmers to have appropriate arrangements in place for dealing with the waste generated by their businesses. Furthermore, these arrangements must be such as to ensure compliance with the EU regulation on disposal of animal by-products and the related Irish legal provisions. This means, for example, that fish waste must, depending on its precise nature and how it arose, be disposed of by specified methods that include ensilement, composting and rendering. Any departure from the appropriate standards and requirements for waste disposal is a very serious matter and will be dealt with accordingly.
The Department is currently working with industry representatives and other public bodies in a group established to examine all issues relating to disposal of waste from fish farms. Key objectives from the Department's point of view will be to ensure that the group's work progresses as quickly as possible and that any recommendations it may make are aimed at maximising practicality and efficiency while also ensuring full compliance with the legal provisions governing the disposal of fish farm waste.
I wish to inform the House of the position in regard to fish mortalities in Donegal Bay. Reports were received in July that significant levels of fish mortalities were being experienced by salmon farms in Inver Bay, County Donegal. The Marine Institute was mandated immediately to carry out a comprehensive investigation of the situation, with a view to determining the cause of the mortalities. An extensive process of investigation and analysis has been undertaken since then by staff of the Marine Institute and other experts engaged by the institute. The investigation was widened to include McSwyne's Bay in August when it became apparent that significant mortalities were also occurring in that bay.
Despite the considerable time and resources that have been devoted to the process, it has not been possible to date to establish what caused the mortalities. The Marine Institute has held a number of meetings in connection with the investigation and issued a statement on 29 September to outline progress with this work.
During September, it came to light that significant unreported mortality levels have also been experienced over recent months by other fish farms along the western seaboard. The Marine Institute was, therefore, asked during September to broaden the scope of its investigation to look also at what has happened at other locations and to seek to draw overall conclusions in regard to the increased mortalities generally. As the investigation is ongoing, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this stage.
The aquaculture industry has experienced remarkable change and growth over the recent past and undoubtedly has the potential for further expansion and development. The challenge facing the industry is to select the development options that will best serve the achievement of this potential. Whichever options are chosen, it is clear that any development must be on a sustainable basis, have a clear focus on market opportunities and requirements and be able to meet exacting environmental and ecological standards.
The Government, for its part, will continue to ensure that appropriate assistance and advice is available to the industry through the relevant State agencies. We will see to it also that there are efficient and effective systems and processes of licensing, monitoring and control, capable of ensuring the orderly development and operation of the industry in the years ahead.
If it is apparent, following the various reviews and investigations that I have outlined, that changes are required to legislation or procedures or practices for monitoring or regulating the fish farming industry, these changes will be introduced without delay. Our objective is to ensure an environmentally friendly and sustainable fish farming industry, operating in harmony with other marine interests and providing long-term employment in coastal communities.
