Overwhelming support for emergency action by Connemara salmon farmer
Marine Harvest Ireland (MHI) has defended its decision to extract fresh water from a Connemara lake to treat farmed salmon in nearby sea cages for a potentially fatal gill disorder.
Salmon cages at Ard Mhóir
In a statement to Inshore Ireland, the company stands over its actions that involved laying above ground a 3km temporary pipeline through which freshwater was occasionally pumped from Loch an Óir to a wellboat, which in turn delivered it to the cages at Aird Mhóir.
Marine Harvest Ireland stands over temporary freshwater extraction from Connemara lake
Marine Harvest Ireland (MHI) has defended its decision to extract water from a Connemara lake to treat farmed salmon in nearby sea cages for a potentially fatal gill disorder.
In a statement to Inshore Ireland, the company stands over its actions that necessitated the laying of a 3km temporary pipeline through which freshwater was pumped from Loch an Or to a wellboat, which in turn delivered it to the cages near Ardmore.
Salmon cages at Ard Mhóir
Describing the action as ‘short-term, and taken on the advice of aquaculture veterinary surgeons’, MHI says it ‘should be seen as an urgent and essential measure to save the lives of its fish stocks’.
Farmed salmon investigation report withheld says environmental group
Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) has accused the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) of refusing to publish the results of its investigation into how a large number of salmon were lost earlier this year at a fish farm in Bantry Bay.
Farmed salmon feeding near the water surface
In a press release, the FIE claims that a storm on February 1 caused two cages to collide at the Gerahies site in the bay, resulting in the loss of 230,000 salmon. The FIE says it was refused the report on the grounds that it was an ‘internal communication in the course of completion’ and that it ‘would not be in the public interest to release it’.
Marine Harvest signs €20m fish processing deal
Marine Harvest Ireland (MHI) has signed a €20m deal to have its farmed organic salmon from Kilkieran Bay processed by Cill Chiaráin Éisc Teoranta between March and July 2015. MHI currently employs fifteen staff at the Kilkieran Bay site which it has been operating since October 2013.
Approximately 85% of the processed product will be exported to fifteen countries worldwide.
“Marine Harvest Ireland looks to work with local partners and suppliers where at all possible and we utilise in excess of 600 local suppliers across the country," remarked Pat Connors, Sales & Processing Director.
Liam Roche, Managing Director, Cill Chiaráin Éisc Teoranta and Pat Connors, Sales and Processing Director, Marine Harvest Ireland
"We're delighted therefore, to announce this agreement, which will see our fish processed here in Kilkieran, making it a truly local operation. This is a significant investment and if we can bring the stock safely through to harvest in the spring of next year, will represent a major supply line for our global export business.”
State sells Arramara Teo to Canadian company
Údarás na Gaeltachta has confirmed the sale of Connemara-based seaweed processor, Arramara Teoranta, to Acadian Seaplants Limited of Canada.
Speaking last week at the announcement, Dinny McGinley, Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht praised the State agency for bringing what he described as “this strategic process" to completion.
Jean-Paul Deveau, Chairperson of Arramara Teoranta and President of Acadian Seaplants Limited; Dinny Mc Ginley TD, Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Anna Ní Ghallachair, Chairperson, Údarás na Gaeltachta
Minister McGinley confirmed that the agency would continue to work in partnership with Acadian Seaplants Limited to develop the seaweed sector “for the benefit of the Gaeltacht community and all stakeholders. This strategic partnership will ensure the company’s future in Connemara and will result in the further development of the seaweed processing sector here,” he added.
Bord Iascaigh Mhara plans second fish farm off west coast
Irish Times (2/05)
Bord Iascaigh Mhara is to seek licence approval for a second State-owned organic fish farm off the west coast.
The 5,000-tonne project earmarked for a location between Mayo’s Inishturk and Galway’s Inishbofin islands will be a third of the size of the farm planned for GalwayBay, for which BIM has reaffirmed its support – even as its chief executive, Jason Whooley, has announced his resignation.
Source: Google Earth
Mr Whooley, who has been with the sea fisheries development board since 2007, will leave BIM in late summer to head up the €35 million Norwegian-Irish bio-marine ingredients project planned for Killybegs, Co Donegal.
Mr Whooley’s resignation is believed to have come as a surprise last week, but the board said it was committed to the project at the mouth of Galway Bay and would continue to work on applying for licence approval for smaller aquaculture sites.
Ireland’s seaweed harvesters seek clarification on Novia Scotia deal
Údarás na Gaeltachta has sold its share-holding in the seaweed processor Arramara Teoranta to Acadia Seaplants of Nova Scotia in a government-approved deal brokered by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
Confirming the sale, a spokeswoman for Údarás na Gaeltachta said that Acadia Seaplants’ involvement in the Irish seaweed sector would provide new opportunities to develop value-added seaweed-based products for a range of growing sectors worldwide.
“This in turn will lead to an increase in employment opportunities in the Gaeltacht and business will continue as usual at Arramara Teo, ” she added.
Meanwhile,at a public meeting this week in Ros a Mhíl to discuss the implications locally, MEP Marian Harkin questioned the part played by Údarás na Gaeltachta in the deal with Acadia. She said that concern was mounting among west coast seaweed harvesters that they had not been consulted or informed of the details of the sale.
Ireland’s oyster sector needs ‘practical government support’
Delegates at a one-day conference on Ireland’s oyster industry were told of the “excellent opportunities” in EU and Far East markets in particular, for branded quality assured Irish oysters.
With technical, financial and business development assistance, “BIM aims to ensure that Irish growers are best placed to take advantage of the current favourable environment,” remarked Donal Maguire, Director of Aquaculture Development.
Patrick Dwyer, Ballyhack, Co Wexford; Pat Movan, Cheekpoint, Co Wexford; Seamus Hayes, Dungarvan, Co Waterford and Brian O’Loan, BIM
L to R: William Dwyer, Ballyhack, Co Wexford; Paudie Coffey, TD; Jim Harty, Dungarvan Shellfish and Tadhg O Maoileoin, Dungarvan, Co Waterford.
Opening the event organised by BIM and IFA Aquaculture, Paudie Coffey, T.D highlighted the importance of this sector to the economy:
“Ireland produces premium quality oysters that demand a high price on our key overseas markets, particularly France and the Far East. This achievement is testament to the hard work of our oyster producers … who have worked hard to achieve a high level of quality assurance with assistance from BIM.
Excessive bureaucracy blocking marine jobs and exports
IFA president, Eddie Downey, says jobs and export targets in peripheral coastal ares cannot be met without "radical streamlining and reprioritisation of the bureaucratic bottlenecks stalling the industry".
In a report published March 17, Removing Barriers to Irish Aquaculture Development, the Irish Farmers' Association icalls on government to actively support the Food Harvest 2020 aims to increase aquaculture output, 'starting with a reduction in the number of competiting agencies and officials holding back the sector.'
Richie Flynn; IFA Aquaculture; Eddie Downey, IFA President, Jerry Gallagher, IFA Aquaculture Chairman and Jan Feenstra, Irish Salmon Growners' Association