Dr. Cecil Beamish:

Senator Mulherin raised the issue of industrial-scale fish farms. I think from her previous contributions her interest is primarily in salmon farming, and that would be understandable in the context of the Moy. I spoke about the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, setting conservation objectives in relation to NPWS defined Natura 2000 areas. If in a Natura 2000 area there is a large area of eelgrass which is a habitat for a lot of young mussels, that might be identified as the scientific interest to be preserved by NPWS. In an area of marl, which is a sort of cold water coral, the NPWS may say this is an area that needs to be defined out from an aquaculture activity. The role in the State of defining the scientific interest and the lead role on Natura areas is with the NPWS. What I have outlined are the type of scientific interests that the NPWS is dealing with in this process.