An Taisce concerned at licensing of fish farms

An Taisce has lodged a complaint with the Ombudsman over the handling of fish farm licences by the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources.

The conservation body has accused the Department of a "lack of openness and transparency" in relation to the licensing arrangements. The rights of coastal communities are being denied as a result, the organisation says.

Mr Tony Lowes, chairman of An Taisce's natural environment committee, said that while aquaculture licence applications and grants were published in local newspapers, no list of decisions was issued. Nor was there a list issued of appeals lodged against such decisions, as was the norm in general planning cases.

This was denying the public the right under the current legislation to object, or to make a submission or observations in writing in relation to an appeal, Mr Lowes said.

However, An Taisce has welcomed a new publication on aquaculture and the environment, which has been produced by Bord Iascaigh Mhara. The booklet, which was presented to the Minister of State for the Marine, Mr Hugh Byrne, in Dublin last week, contains the most up-to-date information on environmental legislation, conservation measures and industry best practice.

Speaking at the publication, the Minister of State said that the Irish aquaculture industry now produced some 40,000 tonnes of product, with an annual sale value of almost £60 million. This represented one-third of the value of all Irish seafood, he said.

"We have a responsibility to future coastal generations to pass on a clean and safe environment, and also a means of earning a good standard of living," Mr Byrne said. "Sustainably developed aquaculture can provide this heritage in a way that almost no other industry can."