Kerry fish farm to double in size despite major licence breaches

Kerry's only fish farm is set to expand to twice its current size, despite strong local objection. The expansion site at Deenish Island near Waterville was granted a part of a new licence, with the Agriculture Minister determining that the site would have 'no significant' impact on wild fisheries or the marine environment. It comes as a High Court judicial review supporting the previous Agriculture Minister's 2019 decision to suspend the farm's licence remains ongoing. The multinational aquaculture company Mowi had their licence revoked at the site after it emerged the farm had harvested over double its fish quota in 2016. This new licence, however, grants a significant expansion of the farm, from 14.5 hectares to 33.5 hectares, with an increase in 10 to 15 pens. While the existing licence permits an annual harvest of 500 tonnes, the new licence will alter conditions as to limit total biomass of the farm to 2,220 tonnes, facilitating a roughly 50pc expansion in output. New site layout at Deenish Island Local councillor Norma Moriarty said the development was disappointing 'to say the least', pointing to the previous breaches at the farm. She accepted that fish farms have a purpose but argued they needed to be promoted in a way that does not negatively impact the marine environment. 'How can we have confidence in structures if an entity that breached them blatantly is subsequently allowed to continue with no proper acknowledgement of the fact that they previously breached them,' said Cllr Moriarty. 'We've no trust in the track record there and so I have to say we're at a loss.' The minister's decision also cites the positive impact on the local economy as a reason to approve the application. Cllr Moriarty strongly rejected these claims, highlighting the booming angling industry that used to exist in Waterville. The village previously boasted some of the best sea trout stock in Europe but in recent decades their numbers have dramatically collapsed, decreasing by 95.6pc since 2002. A seven and a half pound sea trout caught by Mark Powell in Lough Currane 1992 'We're basically trading high-end jobs and high-end tourism products for low-pay jobs,' she said. 'Research has shown the economic benefits typically derived from angling as that kind of slow, repeat tourism, completely and utterly dwarfs the impact in terms of economic benefit that fish farms bring. 'Fish farms are good for the owners, the multinational owners and only them.' There were over 347 submissions received from members of the public on the licence application, most expressing concerns about the environmental impact of the farm and the sea lice generated at the site. There were over 74 mentions of 'Jackson et al', a 2013 paper which is used to justify the continued operation of fish farms nationally and is mentioned in the application's environmental assessments. Objectors said this paper needed to be set aside as more recent research has found otherwise. 'There is a much broader and overwhelming field of Irish and international peer-reviewed research which indicates the damage caused to wild salmonids by sea lice emanating from salmon farms is substantial and significantly damaging to wild salmonids,' read one submission. 'We need to tray aside Jackson et al and move to accept the best available scientific advice.' Deenish and Scariff Island from the Ring of Kerry N70 Dr Paddy Gargan, a retired researcher at the Inland Fisheries Institute (IFI) released a landmark study last year which showed that increased sea lice populations from nearby fish farms can have significant effects on young wild salmon (smolts). He told The Kerryman earlier this year that he had shown 'clearly' significant impact and said the whole issue now will have to be taken 'more seriously'. Meanwhile, government agencies were split in their support of the application. A submission from the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority said that no negative impacts on existing wild fisheries in the area could arise, while the seafood development agency (Bord Iascaigh Mhara) said there would be no 'significant' impacts. On the other hand, the IFI expressed concerns regarding the application, highlighting the potential to result in 'negative consequences' for wild salmon, pearl mussel and sea trout, as well as having potential associated socio-economic impacts. They asserted that these consequences are not adequately assessed in the environmental assessments. An Taisce said they view the application as invalid due to the previous determination by the Minister to suspend the farm's licence in 2019. The Marine Institute, which is responsible for providing scientific advice to the government, was notified of the application but made no submission. It comes as Friends of Irish Environment (FIE) have an ongoing High Court judicial review proceedings supporting the Agriculture Minister's 2019 decision to suspend the farm's licence. FIE argue that since Mowi had 'knowingly' harvested well over double the permitted tonnage and exceeded stocking limits set in the 1995 licence, any statutory right to continue operating under the legislation fell away. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme