Mr. Éamon Ó Corcora:

A Chathaoirligh agus baill an choiste,I thank the committee for the invitation. It was late in the day when I received it, as I was out at sea, but we will do our best anyway. The inshore fishermen's point of view is seldom listened to, unfortunately, but we have had hearings with the committee before now. We were satisfied that, at least, we were shown some respect.

To get back to our presentation, we would be totally opposed to this new strategy that seems to be the Government's strategy of industrialisation of large fin fish farms. We do not agree with it and feel it is damaging to the environment. There are several examples of this.

From our own research on fin fish farms, the problem concerns cages at sea versus land. We are totally opposed to cages at sea and would like to see closed contained fish farms onshore which have no problems with lice or pesticides. Recently, I have been looking through a lot of data on fish farms and we are worried that some of the feedstuffs and chemical treatments have an awful effect on wild salmon and wild trout.

For years we have been lobbying politicians to install shellfish hatcheries to save our lobsters and crayfish in particular, as well as shrimp. We seem to be 30 years behind every other country in Europe, as well as America, Canada and Australia. We could go on. We do not have a problem with bivalve aquaculture, involving oysters and mussels, provided it is done in an environmentally friendly fashion.

As we see them, the issues are pollution by cages at sea from fin fish farms, involving salmon and trout; escapees from fish farms, as we had in Bantry Bay during the storms last year; and the use of feed sources for wild stocks. In particular, two countries have been licensed by the EU to take up to 600,000 tonnes of krill and capelin from the cold waters of the North Atlantic. They have been doing that for years while a small number of people who were drift-netting for a few days per year in Ireland were stopped.

They have done far done damage than any Irish fisherman has ever done.

The content of feed pellets that is allowed by the EU is another problem, with some of them containing the likes of chicken and pork. That is completely unacceptable to us, but it is approved in Europe, as one can read online. Another is the use of pesticides and antibiotics, with several reports showing it is a danger to health for people to eat fish treated with those types of substances. Sea lice, too, are a serious problem. In fact, tests done in 2012 showed that on some Irish salmon farms, there were up to 44 lice per salmon. That has a terrible environmental impact. As we see it, it is a case of commercial fishing versus fish farming and there is not enough regard for the welfare of local communities. There are 1,800 small fishing vessels in operation in this country and each one of them is as important in its community as is the small family farm, shop or post office to other communities.

Ours is a dwindling industry and it is in serious trouble. I hope the committee and the Oireachtas will agree, immediately or at least after the election, to put their shoulder to the wheel and do something about this. What we really want for the inshore fleet is a sustainable lobster stock for commercial fishing. We do not want to see lobster farms being set up instead of lobster hatcheries. All of this should be done in conjunction with small-boat fishermen. I have given 36 years of my life to this; my colleague, Mr. Connolly, has given some 50 years. The decline in the industry is happening at an alarming rate and poses a serious risk to many small coastal communities.

We have seen from other countries what can be done. In the UK, for example, there is the National Lobster Hatchery in Cornwall and, in Scotland, the Orkney Lobster Hatchery. The latter has been in operation since 1985, which makes one wonder why Ireland, as an island nation, is so far behind on this. Other facilities in Britain include the Firth of Forth Lobster Hatchery in North Berwick, the hatchery to be constructed at Bridlington, and the Lobster Hatchery of Wales on Anglesey Island. Moving to North America, we find the New England Aquarium Lobster Lab and the Pictou Lobster Hatchery in Nova Scotia. Australia is home to the Redclaw Hatchery and a crayfish hatchery in Queensland. Senegal has a shrimp hatchery. In Ireland, on the other hand, we have overfishing, no regulation, unlicensed operators and a blind eye being turned to all of it. We should not be 30 years behind other countries; we should be 30 years ahead of them. I emphasise, however, that the changes which require to be made must be done in conjunction with coastal communities and the local fishermen who have earned a living from these activities for many years.

We recommend that there be a strategic environmental assessment of closed aquaculture practice, using onshore tanks, which offers better water quality and increased production capacity. Scotland has been looking into this in recent years and there has been an application in this regard from an operator in west Cork. We must have a rejuvenation programme whereby lobsters, crayfish, shrimp and other fish that are under threat would be released into the wild. That is vital if we are to be able to sustain our livelihood and keep our communities alive. A coastal community fund for projects like that is available elsewhere in Europe, but we have never had anything like it here. Unfortunately, coastal communities in this country are ignored, with the perception among those communities being that they just do not matter.

The strategic plan should include provision for onshore fish farms and shellfish hatcheries, which would help to rejuvenate wild stocks, ensure a viable commercial fishing sector and offer an environmental benefit. A study done in Senegal shows that prawn reintroduction can help to fight infection and safeguard a sustainable future for rural coastal communities. There is also tourism potential in hatcheries, as anybody who has visited the National Lobster Hatchery in Cornwall will know. That facility is a real money spinner. In addition, the construction of hatcheries will lead directly to the creation of jobs as well as creating spin-off employment potential.