By Mark Macaskill Charlie Whelan, the former Labour spin doctor, has taken a swipe at the Scottish government for its “criminal” support of fish farming. Whelan, who advised Gordon Brown during the 1990s and was political director of the trade union Unite, believes disease spread by salmon farming is the biggest threat to wild fish. … Continue reading
On 21 September the Aquaculture Licence Appeals Board (ALAB) heard final appeals against a new Marine Harvest salmon farm at Shot Head in Bantry Bay. The Panel, chaired by Prof. Owen McIntyre heard evidence from the developer Marine Harvest and fourteen separate appellants. “After the Department for Agriculture approved the licence in October 2016, ALAB … Continue reading
Every day, salmon farmers across the world walk into steel cages – in the seas off Scotland or Norway or Iceland – and throw in food. Lots of food; they must feed tens of thousands of fish before the day is over. They must also check if there are problems, and there is one particular … Continue reading
What has occurred across the west coast of Scotland over the last few decades is nothing short of a travesty. We have been responsible for the systematic demise of a great natural resource, decimating the wild populations of salmon and sea-trout in order to support big business in farmed salmon. In the case of the … Continue reading
Norwegian salmon farmers are dumping tonnes of polluted sea water along the Norwegian coast. Chemicals for lice treatments are supposed to kill the salmon lice, but in addition it kills all shell animals in the sea, like shrimp and lobster. The lobster and shrimp catch has been radically reduced the last years, after the salmon … Continue reading
The Department of Agriculture, Food, and Fisheries’ refusal to release the accident report on the loss of 230,000 salmon in a February 2014 storm has been annulled by the Information Commission, Peter Tyndal. Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney’s Department had refused to release the report on the grounds that it was an ‘internal communication’ … Continue reading
Below is the submission made by Friends of the Irish Environment to the consultation regarding Marine Harvest application for certification of their salmon farms by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council. =========================================== Jean Ragg Fisheries & Aquaculture Administrator SAI Global Assurance Services / Global Trust Quayside Business Park, Mill Street Dundalk, County Louth, IRELAND 6 July 2015 … Continue reading
Save Bantry Bay Submission: National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Consultation The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine is inviting submissions on a new National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development and related strategic environmental assessment and appropriate assessment. Deadline for receipt of submissions is 5.30pm on 24 July 2015. A copy of the … Continue reading
EU Report Greeted with Dismay EU Fish News, 29 June 2015 EUROPE’s seas are “neither healthy nor clean, and although they are productive at present, this may be compromised in the future if the deterioration of marine ecosystems continues”. This is how Oceana has interpreted the first State of Europe’s Seas report, which was … Continue reading
Scientists dispute findings of provincial report that minimizes risk of aquaculture to wild salmon By Larry Pynn, Vancouver Sun A group of scientists is challenging a B.C. government report that plays down the risks of aquaculture to wild Pacific salmon. In a written critique, the scientists say the report by Gary Marty, a fish pathologist … Continue reading
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