When two State bodies publicly disagree on the environmental impact of a major commercial project – and one of those bodies is promoting the development – the Government should order a comprehensive review. Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) wants to build an enormous salmon farm in Galway Bay, to be operated by Norwegian interests. But Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has claimed the accompanying environmental impact statements are inadequate or deeply flawed.
BIM is promoting the project on the grounds that it will add more than 300 jobs to the local economy. Objectors challenge these figures and compare them to much lower employment levels in Scotland. Local anglers, fishery owners, hoteliers, tourism interests and islanders oppose the development because of the impact it may have on the environment and on threatened stocks of sea trout and salmon….
Irish Times. 14/02/2013, Read the article ‘Salmon Farming’
