Irish public attitude to fish farming
IFA Aquaculture is seeking a meeting with Minister Simon Coveney to discuss the findings of a major survey of Irish public opinion on the aquaculture industry.
Undertaken by Behaviour & Attitudes, Ireland’s largest independent market research company, the 'barometer survey' was specially commissioned by IFA Aquaculture to assess ‘Public Attitudes and Information Sources on Irish Aquaculture’.
Writing to Minister Coveney, IFA Executive, Richie Flynn, describes the B&A research as 'the largest single data gathering exercise undertaken in Ireland into the views and level of knowledge of the general public about fish farming'. He also claims the survey fulfills a range of functions including:
Salmon farm accident: Ombudsman orders DAFM to release report
The Ombudsman has directed the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to release the information it holds relating to the loss of more than 200,000 juvenile farmed salmon at Gearhies in Bantry Bay, following a storm in February 2014.
Farmed salmon swimming near the surface of the water
DAFM refused to provide the 'preliminary scientific and technical reports' of its investigation into the incident to Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) who first requested it in April 2014 under Access to Information on the Environment (AIE).
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Guest Writer2015-06-19 10:00:002019-02-15 15:23:54Marine Harvest Ireland takes aquaculture excellence award
Proposal to cap single salmon farm biomass at 7,000 tonnes
A draft Plan to increase Irish aquaculture production by 45,000 tonnes across all species by 2023, recommends peak biomass for individual site licences of 5,000 tonnes ‘based on full assessment of environmental considerations, e.g. site characteristics, carrying capacity and separation distance from adjacent operations.’
Single salmon-farm licence biomass will be capped at 7,000 tonnes if the proposed limit is accepted
Additional tonnage may be sought ‘subject to a total maximum of 7,000 tonnes (peak biomass)’ and other conditions.
Launching the public consultation (deadline July 24 see http://www.inshore-ireland.com/Notice-board/) on the National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, said Ireland’s targeted production increase reflected growing seafood demand worldwide, projected to reach 85 million tonnes by 2022.
Inshore Ireland denied salmon/sea lice report from government department
Almost five months after Inshore Ireland first requested a copy of a significant report on interactions between aquaculture and wild salmonid fish from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, it was eventually received under FOI - but from another agency.
Documents released by the Marine Institute in March include a copy of the SUMBAWS report. These documents also indicate that the report was in fact held by the DCENR, who passed it to another government department in August 2009.
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Guest Writer2015-03-27 17:44:192019-02-15 15:05:34Mussel crisis in the southwest threatens viability of premium productInshore Ireland uncovers SUMBAWS through FOI
In October 2014, Inshore Ireland requested a copy of the ten-year-old SUMBAWS (Sustainable management of interactions between aquaculture and wild salmonid fish) report from two of its contributors: Inland Fisheries Ireland, and a month later from the Economic and Social Research Institute, ERSI. To date, neither agency has provided a copy.
A pursuant Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR) also failed to recover a copy. Following an FOI to another State Agency, Inshore Ireland has now received a copy among the documents released to it on March 6.
Marine Harvest Ireland obtains global environmental standard
Marine Harvest Ireland - the first salmon farm worldwide to achieve organic certification - has been awarded the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) standard for salmon, acknowledged as one of the highest international environmental and social sustainability standards for fish farming.
The standard was obtained for a site at Deenish Island in Ballinskelligs Bay, Co Kerry.
According to MHI managing director Jan Feenstra, the standard is an endorsement of the company brand and the high standards they consistently aspire to and succeed in reaching.
"This particular accreditation was initiated by the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF), recognised globally as a benchmark in building a future where human needs are met in harmony with nature."
Winter algal blooms threaten south-west shellfish sector
A severe crisis is threatening the mussel production sector from Castlemaine to Dunmanus Bay as a result of highly unusual algal blooms this winter, according to the Irish Shellfish Association.
“Some bays have been forced to close down for five consecutive months, and farmers have had to watch their crops wash away during the winter storms instead of fetching premiums in top supermarkets and restaurants,” explained Richie Flynn, aquaculture excecutive of the Irish Farmers' Association.
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“By closing their harvesting operations, the mussel farmers ensured that consumer and food safety comes first but unfortunately they have no control over the length of time these natural blooms can persist in the ocean," he added.