• Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages gets Salmon Watch Ireland’s 2019 Salmon Heroes Award

    Posted by John Murphy on October 21, 2019

    Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages gets Salmon Watch Ireland’s 2019 Salmon Heroes award.   Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages gets Salmon Watch Ireland’s 2019 Salmon Heroes award. (21 October 2019) – Salmon Watch Ireland has awarded its Salmon Heroes accolade for 2019 to Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages.  The award was presented at the Salmon Watch Ireland’s annual salmon conference in the Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill on 19 October. In making the presentation the chair of the board of Salmon Watch Ireland, Niall Greene, said that: “Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages is an outstanding example of what a non-governmental organization can achieve in the cause of salmon conservation.  They came together to combat the placing of a monstrously large open cage salmon farm in Galway Bay. Having successfully accomplished that task they have gone on to become probably the best informed and most active group in the country in the campaign for the ending of open cage salmon farming.  They are an inspiration to the all of us in the wild salmon conservation movement”. Receiving the award on behalf of Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages, its’ chair, Billy Smyth remarked: “It is encouraging to have had our efforts to combat open cage salmon farming recognized by people concerned about salmon conservation from all over the country.  Ours has been a long struggle and one which has not ended with BIM’s withdrawal of its plans for its’ Galway Bay mega-farm.  We continue to struggle with the dubious and often apparently illegal behavior of existing farms, with over-stocking, diseases and escapes and with the unauthorized accessing of fresh water sources.  We are adamant that if salmon farming is to have a future in Ireland it can only be through the phasing out of open cages and the transfer of all farming activity to land-based facilities’. ------------end------------ For further information contact: Niall Greene    086 826 9222 John Murphy   086 399 1074


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  • Salmon Watch Ireland – Consultation on Policy Document

    Posted by Salmon Watch Ireland on September 9, 2019

    More and Stronger smolts ‘The rational management approach is to redouble efforts to address factors impacting on productivity to ensure that …. salmon rivers…. produce the maximum number of healthy wild salmon smolts’ Background – Salmon stocks are close to crisis point Before reading our Policy Document it might be advisable to review the present state of Atlantic salmon in Ireland. In conjunction with the following paragraphs and the short film you will be able to appreciate the many factors affecting Atlantic salmon and sea trout stocks in Ireland. We would appreciate your views on the Policy document and any ideas you may have to help progress conservation of these iconic fish. It is not an exaggeration to suggest that, in the lifetime of people living today, Ireland’s wild Atlantic salmon could become a curiosity confined, at best, to a small number of rivers.  The species may not become totally extinct (although it could) but there may not be sufficient stock for either commercial or recreational exploitation.  A species that has huge Irish heritage and folklore significance and which, in the past, has had major social, economic and recreational value could to all intents and purposes be lost.  There is an obligation on all of use to do our utmost to prevent that happening in the interests of our own and of future generations.  It will not be an easy task. Read More


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  • Marine Institute Report – Newport Salmon and Sea Trout 2015

    Posted by John Murphy on August 29, 2019

    This report from 2015 is a very interesting read with lots of very informative data available. Salmon Watch Ireland is particularly interested in the data relating to sea trout….


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  • Annual Conference Galway 19th Oct 2019- Salmon Watch Ireland

    Posted by John Murphy on August 27, 2019

    Please note that this conference will help all stakeholders to understand the concepts involved in Closed and Semi Closed Containment in regard to salmon farming. It is…


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  • Deenish Island – Contradictory and inaccurate records reveal a shocking story

    Posted by Salmon Watch Ireland on August 14, 2019

    Deenish Island - The Story Continues Here under text of additional submission sent to the Aquaculture Licence Appeal Board. The submission was also forwarded to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and Inland Fisheries Ireland for further comment and investigation. AP1-2019(Site T6/202) Dear Sir, With reference to appeal AP1-2019(Site T6/202) to ALAB by MOWI Ireland, Salmon Watch Ireland would like to submit additional information which might aid ALAB in coming to a decision regarding this matter. Salmon Watch Ireland has successfully appealed the decision by the Marine Institute not to release stocking information regarding the Deenish Island Salmon Farm in County Kerry. The Marine Institute has on the 6th August 2019 released information concerning the stocking of the Deenish Island site. It is apparent that the statement issued to ALAB by MOWI regarding the stocking of the site in 2019 is inaccurate and that anomalies exist in stocking data for 2015. Read More


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  • Aquaculture and its effects on wild Atlantic salmon populations.

    Posted by John Murphy on July 10, 2019

    This document is a must read for all concerned with negative effects caused by salmon aquaculture on wild salmonids. The International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) advises that there is substantial and growing evidence that salmon aquaculture activities can affect wild Atlantic salmon, through the impacts of sea lice as well as farm escapees. Both factors can reduce the productivity of wild salmon populations and there is marked temporal and spatial variability in the magnitude of reported effects. This document explains in detail how aquaculture can have a varying degree of effect and demonstrates that time period, biomass and environmental factors can change effect. ICES REPORT


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  • Atlantic salmon – A resource in decline

    Posted by John Murphy on July 4, 2019

    Salmon Watch Ireland has highlighted, since it's inception in 2004, the alarming decline of Atlantic salmon and sea trout in Ireland. Ireland's Atlantic Salmon resource is rapidly declining from the historic adult runs of up to 2 million fish in the 1970's to less than 250 thousand fish now reaching our shores.We are dedicated to the conservation of Atlantic salmon and Sea trout in Ireland and will endeavor to shape government policy to protect this iconic species. Atlantic salmon and sea trout: A resource declininghttps://youtu.be/ArUiOiIIaZ0


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  • Salmon Farming Expansion – Wild fish stocks under threat from over-fishing to sustain feed for salmon aquaculture.

    Posted by John Murphy on July 2, 2019

    The very essence of sustainability is to guarantee that remaining fish stocks after commercial exploitation can be replenished naturally within a short period and not have the population dynamic…


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  • Stop Europe’s Dirty Fish Farms – Petition

    Posted by John Murphy on June 15, 2019

    Stop Europe’s Dirty Fish Farms To the governments and members of parliament of Iceland, Norway, Scotland and Ireland: Petition text: As concerned citizens…


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  • Deenish Island – Salmon Watch Ireland Submission – ALAB

    Posted by Salmon Watch Ireland on June 10, 2019

    SALMON Watch Ireland wishes to make the following submission in relation to the above appeal by Comhlucht Iascaireachta Fanad Teoranta (MOWI Ireland), Fanad Fisheries, Kindrum, Fanad, Letterkenny Co Donegal. Firstly…


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