Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire.

I shall start where Senator Hayden has left off and mention a theme which has emerged in agriculture and fisheries which I hope the Minister defends stridently. He is beginning to favour the big guy completely over the small guy. In agriculture that means the meat processor is being favoured over the beef farmer and, in fisheries, the big companies are being favoured over the inshore fishermen or the angler. I shall not draw generalisations but I have my concerns about the matter.

Today, I shall focus on the Galway Bay fishfarm project. As he will know, we had an Adjournment debate on the matter in this House. I put my cards on the table by saying that I am quite happy for the Galway Bay fishfarm project to proceed if it has a sound scientific basis, the project is sound environmentally and it does not displace other equally valuable industry be it the inshore fisherman or the angler. Does the Minister have a difficulty with any of my comments? I would like to hear his answer.

I have two specific questions on the Galway Bay fishfarm project. I shall not ask him to comment on the licence because I heard him say he will make a decision on it in early 2015. The environmental impact statement for the proposed Galway Bay salmon farm does not mention an amoebic gill disease or where fresh water would be sourced from to treat 15,000 tonnes of farm salmon should they become infected with this disease. That is the scale of the project being considered for Galway Bay. Can the Minister tell me where a salmon farm operator would legally acquire the huge amount of fresh water required to treat this huge amount of fish?

In light of the fact that amoebic gill disease has been endemic in most of the salmon farms along the west coast over the past number of years, and has caused high mortality rates in farmed salmon, what effect might the disease have on other marine species in the bays and estuaries where salmon farms are located? I refer to the fish that inshore fishermen rely on for their livelihood such as cod, whiting, mackerel, herring, turbot, salmon, wild salmon and seatrout among others. What research studies has the Marine Institute carried out to determine the effect this disease may be having on these wild marine species? I am a huge advocate of the Marine Institute. It is located beside me in Oranmore. I know that it carries out extremely positive and good research. Has it researched the effects of this disease? If so, then I ask the Minister to respond on that issue.

Earlier I said that I want the fishfarm to proceed if it has a sound scientific basis, is environmentally sound and does not displace other industry in this area. Has the Department assessed the impact the project will have on angling and tourism? Does the impact matter to the Department? I look forward to hearing answers from the Minister.