An opponent of fish farming who is on a tour of the west coast has called for details of chemical parasite treatments used in Irish waters to be made available.
Don Staniford of the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture drew a 100- strong crowd on Friday night to Bantry Bay, where he was a guest speaker for local campaign group Save Bantry Bay (SBB). Mr Staniford outlined damaging effects of common fish-farming practices on wild fish stocks and said the industry was “fundamentally flawed”.
Marine Harvest is seeking to develop a 100-acre fish farm at Shot Head in the bay and has lodged an application for a foreshore and aquaculture licence with the Department of the Marine.
SBB is fighting the project, citing concerns about the farm’s impact on wild fish stocks, water quality, fishermen’s livelihoods, angling, tourism and water sports.
Mr Staniford said Marine Harvest was fighting farmed fish parasites but information on chemical treatments used in Ireland was “particularly difficult to access”.