FISH FARMS AND NEW BILL

Sir, - It is strange and somewhat ominous that Ms Licken, media and information officer at the Department of the Marine, describes the new fish farming legislation as providing an "open and transparent" procedure. She claims that its appeal process is modelled closely along the lines of An Bord Pleanala.

A former Minister of the Marine set up a sea trout task force which recommended that no licences should be issued for salmon cages within 12 miles of the mouth of any sea trout river. Will Ms Licken now, openly and transparently, tell us if this recommendation is to be implemented?

Yours, etc.,

PC, Ard na Mara, Malahide,

Co Dublin.