Kerry fish farm license reinstated but regulations ‘shattered’ says fishery watchdog

By Alastair Tibbs, The Kerryman

In the tranquil bays of the Iveagh Peninsula hides the thronging Deenish Island fish farm. In the minds of many locals, the farm, owned by Norwegian fisheries giant Mowi, is a deeply insidious force.

The decision last month to allow Mowi to continue to operate has sparked outrage from locals and activist groups alike.

The farm’s license was revoked in 2019 after it emerged the company had harvested over double the amount of fish allowed, leading to a rise in effluent discharge from the site, according to Agriculture Minister at the time, Michael Creed.

Fish conservation watchdog Salmon Watch Ireland (SWI) slammed the reinstatement of Mowi’s license, saying the decision “shatters the authority of the minister and the department to regulate aquaculture”.

In a letter to the current Agriculture Minister, Martin Heydon, they said: “It tells every operator that licence conditions are little more than suggestions, that breaches can be bargained away, and that even blatant non-compliance carries no real consequence. It empowers those already inclined to disregard the law, while leaving local communities and fragile marine environments unprotected and at risk.”

“This sets a dangerous precedent, erodes public confidence in the regulatory process, and calls into question the integrity of environmental governance.”

In the decision letter, the Aquaculture Licenses Appeal Board (ALAB) stated that there was no evidence of damage to the environment, despite the release of new figures showing the farm had actually harvested 1861 tonnes of fish in 2016, nearly four times their quota of 500 tonnes.

They said the licence conditions were “inappropriate” and not commercially viable, recognising Mowi’s argument that licencing system held significant delays for any company attempting to update their agreement.

In response the SWI said the impacts on wild salmon and sea trout populations was not adequately assessed and the implications for angling tourism were ignored.

They said previously the Waterville sea trout fishery near the farm has been “effectively abandoned” as sea trout stocks continue a “rapid and accelerating decline”.

“It is shameful that a lake like Lough Currane has effectively been consigned to the history books by the salmon farming industry.”

Loch Currane used to be revered in the angling communities in Ireland and even throughout Europe.

Remembering the loch in its prime, local angler John Holestead said the spot would attract an “armada” of boats every summer, the waters plentiful with big fish.

“The village during fishing season would be full of anglers. They’d be in the hotels, the guesthouses, the restaurants, the bars - anglers are very good at drinking pints after a days fishing – and the shops. They brought in a lot of money,” said John.

“Nobody comes to Waterville anymore…you could float away for days, and you wouldn’t see a sea trout. Its disaster and its heartbreaking for anybody who knew what it was like before.”

Councillor Robert Brosnan slammed ALAB’s decision, saying it was “very dismissive” of current evidence and the personal experiences of local anglers.

The verdict, he said, undermined the Minster and the Agriculture department, who now seem to have no control over licensing.

“It’s had a very detrimental effect on species of sea trout and wild salmon because of the amount of sea lice…the population of sea lice decimates the local fish as well as the effluent coming off the farmed salmon.”

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