This article is from page 6 of the 2013-04-30 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
CLARE opposition to a massive organic fish farm planned for off the North Clare coast took shape following a mass meeting of local fishermen and women in New Quay.
The meeting, which was originally organised by Clare TD Michael McNamara (Lab) as a means of developing local coastal businesses, turned into a virtual campaign meeting to oppose the proposed fish farm – which locals claims is the biggest threat to indigenous local fish industries. The proposed twin fish farms will cover 500 acres of water off the Doolin and Fanore coast if it given the green lights by the Department of Agriculture. Government agency Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) have proposed that a licence be granted for a third party operator to build and manage the farm – which they claim will create 500 jobs.
These claims are being opposed by a number of groups, including Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFA) – a second government agency, who claim that the project will create far fewer jobs and will also destroy a large number of smaller local businesses.
Doolin local, Mattie Shannon, attended the meeting and said that the vast majority of local people are against the fish farm. “Everybody who attended the meeting and has anything to do with fishing or Doolin or the Aran Islands was against the proposed giant fish farm. BIM are proposing to build 10 of these off the west coast – from Mizen Head to Malin Head,” he said.
“There are a number of large fish farms like this in Canada but, under their own regulations, a farm of this size would no longer be allowed in Canada. It really is massive, it is half the size of Inis Oirr.
“They are dangling theses jobs in front of people. They started off talking about 300 jobs and then they upped it to 500 jobs. It is quite possible that there are a large number of jobs in it but whether these jobs are for local Clare people in another thing,” he said.
“At the same time this will destabilise jobs that are there already in smaller family operations all along Galway Bay. South west are the main winds in that area, so any contamination or spills or anything like that will wash in to us and effect all the small industries that are there already. I don’t know why we are talking about threatening jobs that are there already to create jobs for some multinational company.”