#FishFarm - Galway West TD Derek Nolan has joined calls for refusal of a State licence for the proposed Galway Bay salmon farm, as The Irish Times reports.
The 500-hectare scheme near the Aran Islands – which would make it the largest such aquaculture project in Europe – has faced opposition from conservationists and anglers since long before Brussels halted the plans late last year amid concerns over environmental impact studies relating to the scheme.
The European Commission has now closed its investigation, with Bord Iasaigh Mhara (BIM) – which initiated the project and has since made plans for a second scheme – saying that this meant the State had "no case to answer", giving the green light for licensing to proceed.
But now Labour TD Nolan has spoken out after "new information coming to light this year showed that hundreds of thousands of farmed salmon escaped from a farm in Bantry Bay and were unaccounted for."
Underlining his opinion that the project "carries too many risks", his statement added: "I feel there is now too much evidence showing the negative impact this salmon farm could have on Galway Bay."
The Irish Times has much more on the story HERE.