CONCERNS are growing among residents and councillors along the upper reaches of Lough Swilly that it could come to resemble the Inishowen shore of Lough Foyle which is strewn with thousands of oyster growing trestles, spoiling the scenic value of the coastal area.
Cllr Paul Canning hopes to assemble a group of experts in the hope of ensuring this does not happen in Lough Swilly.
Fears were heightened recently with surveys taking place at Quay Shore in Newtowncunningham with a view to lodging an application for aquaculture farming in the area.
Speaking this week Cllr Canning said there were surveyors in that area taking samples and levels.
“It would suggest they are getting ready to put an application in for a foreshore license.
“In order to lodge an objection to such a development there is really not enough time as appropriate assessments have to be done and you have to do your own surveys, so that’s why I’m trying to get a team together now so we can gather the information and be ready to make a submission,” he said.
He pointed out that with around 80,000 trestles along the banks of the Foyle it was something he “certainly does not want to see happen in Lough Swilly”.
“Once you get them in at all they tend to multiply and expand across the whole area and that is an eyesore I do not want to see. I know that along Lough Foyle it is unregulated because they do not know who owns it. It was never sorted out after partition,” Cllr Canning said.
He acknowledged there were places where, properly monitored, such as the crab cages at Kerrykeel, they are clean, tidy and look okay. He accepts that oyster farms keep people in jobs but development can go over the top.
“We need to strike a balance between tourism coming to Inishowen and any industry here. Tourists coming who are looking at oyster trestles all around the scenic coastal areas, will soon stop coming.
He stressed the importance of “Getting ahead of the posse in order to protect the marine environment of Lough Swilly. He intends to help form a group ready to make a submission, people
Meanwhile Marine Ecologist Karen Dubsky of Trinity College has committed to help the cause ahead of a likely public meeting in Newton’.
“I would like to get a team together to see where it takes us,” he said.
A query from the Donegal News to the Department of Marine last week, regarding new aquaculture licenses for Lough Swilly received the following reply. The links show what areas are licensed and to whom.
“The location of all Licensed Aquaculture Sites is publicly available to view on the Departments Aquaculture Information Management System (AQUAMIS) https://dafm-maps.marine.ie/aquaculture-viewer/.
“The online viewer allows members of the public to freely access and view licensed aquaculture sites through a public portal. This project is being delivered as part of the ongoing development of IT services for the Fisheries and Aquaculture sector. “All licenses issued in the area you refer can be viewed on the Departments website on the link below:- https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/89dbc-shellfish-licences-donegal/#lough-swilly.
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