Dr. Paddy Gargan:

In Ireland we do not have what one might call a very deep site operating now. With the Galway Bay submission, we stated that the scale of the project was too large and we have not changed our view or policy since. We argued that it should start small and there was not sufficient information in the environment impact statement regarding the migration route of salmon. The impact of sea lice and potential for escape of 6 million or 8 million fish to local rivers with just a few hundred fish had not been adequately addressed. Our main point was that any proposal should start small and be monitored, with any environmental issues addressed. Only after it was shown that the process was sustainable should there have been incremental increases. That is what we noted in our observations and what we are saying today.

The guiding principles in the sustainability document point to the fact that there must be environmental sustainability and monitoring is key. Only after monitoring has shown no impact should there be progression. We still make the point that the initial amount referenced of 5,000 tonnes is too large, as most Irish aquaculture is 1,000 tonnes, more or less. To start with 5,000 tonnes as a trial is too large until we know if it is sustainable.