Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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509. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will detail the damage to aquaculture operations during the recent stormy weather; the number of fish which escaped as reported to his Department under the licensing conditions for fin fish operations, with specific reference to a company (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he is satisfied that fish escaping from salmon farms have not and will not have an irreversible impact on the genetic integrity of native wild salmon stocks. [6714/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department has received a report from the company referred to by the Deputy that due to the recent stormy weather, damage has been done to one of the cages on site and that a fish loss is likely to have occurred as a result.

Due to the ongoing weather conditions it has not been possible to quantify the fish loss but the company has advised that a fish count will be taken as soon as weather conditions permit. My Department will continue to monitor the situation.

In relation to the genetic integrity of native wild salmon stocks, there have been no documented cases in Ireland of negative population impacts leading specifically to loss of wild stock integrity and productivity as a result of fish farm escapes to date.