Mr. Donal Maguire:

There is some difference in water temperature and in the environment in which salmon are grown. The salmon farming industry off the west coast of Ireland started at exactly the same time as the industry in Scotland, almost within a couple of years. The Norwegian industry mirrors that. Farms such as the Clare Island farm have been operating consistently successfully for 35 years. We can farm salmon very successfully off the west coast of Ireland. There is no question about that. It has been demonstrated year in year out. In recent years the Scots have suffered the same environmental disadvantages as the Irish in terms of amoebic gill disease and other issues. We are all dealing with the same issues. There is no doubt because of the availability of very deep sheltered sea water in Norway it is easier to farm salmon there than in Ireland but we can do it very successfully. By using organic certification, which was developed here - this was the first country to do it and is still the leading country – we can do it profitably and sustainably. There is no question that we can be very successful at farming salmon.