Our latest Salmon Watch Ireland newsletter marks an important development in a campaign we began six years ago.
In 2020, Salmon Watch Ireland made a formal complaint to the European Commission concerning Ireland's aquaculture licensing system and the continued operation of aquaculture facilities after their licences had expired under Section 19A.
The Government has now published the Draft General Scheme of the Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2026, which proposes the repeal of Section 19A(4). This is an important achievement and a significant outcome from the European process which followed our complaint.
However, as our newsletter explains, repeal is only part of the story. The proposed legislation would introduce a new system of temporary licence extensions, and we believe important safeguards are still required.
In Newsletter 44, we examine the new proposals and explain why previous production performance, mortalities, disease, sea lice, escapes and licence breaches must be considered before further operation is permitted. We also address the need for public scrutiny, meaningful environmental assessment, effective appeals, stronger enforcement and financial bonds to ensure operators—not the taxpayer—carry responsibility for environmental liabilities.
We also reiterate our fundamental policy position: open-cage finfish farming is environmentally unsustainable and Ireland should begin a planned transition to land-based closed containment.
After six years of pursuing this issue, the proposed repeal of Section 19A(4) demonstrates that persistent engagement with Irish and European institutions can produce meaningful change.
But the work is not finished. We will continue to engage as the legislation progresses to ensure that what replaces Section 19A(4) provides genuine protection for wild Atlantic salmon, sea trout and the wider aquatic environment.
We hope you will take the time to read Newsletter 44 – Six Years of Persistence: Salmon Watch Ireland's Section 19A Campaign Reaches a Critical Point.
Newsletter Number 44 - Section 19 Repeal
