Illegal theft of water by fish farmers

Some of you may have seen pics on facebook. Basically Marine Harvest, the big fish pharming company, have disease problems at a number of their sites (as do other operators). Amoebic Gill Disease occurs in warm summers (pretty much every year now), and the operators need vast quantities of fresh water to bathe the fish in.
MH are operating a site at Ardmore, near Kilkieran in Connemara. Over the last week they have constructed a 3km-long pipeline to connect a local lake to their pharming operation just offshore.
As it turns out, this lake is also a public water supply for a large area (as far as Roundstone), and if the current dry spell continues may have problems supplying enough water.
Now get this: the company have no permission from Irish Water to abstract from the lake (they are taking up to 2 million litres per day)
They have no planning permission. They applied for an exemption from planning, but Galway Co Co told them they would not make a decision until July 14th. Also told them they would need further documentation, including an appropriate assessment carried out by consultants, as the pipeline enters an SAC. None of this was provided.
The pipeline crosses a large area of commonage, owned by a number of local people. The company got permission from ONE person and ignored the rest.
They have no permission from National Parks and Wildlife (necessary for works in an SAC)

But they have gone ahead and done this anyway.

They have also dammed rivers on Clare Island, Corraun and Killary to provide water for sites there, as well as taking water illegally from a lake in Lettermullan.

If Irish Water were to charge the commercial rate for this water they would be facing a bill of at least half a million euro.

We are constantly being told this is a responsible, highly-regulated industry that adheres to the highest standards. Hmmm....

Pics here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

it is absolutely mind boggling - but they were at this last year and possibly before. its very clear the precedent is there for them to carry on with this process unhindered

i had heard of them transporting freshwater initially from killybegs on a boat but this was far too expensive for clare island. so then it was dam the local island river - what happend all the salmon in that river i wonder?

i know in some cases there was consultation and a few sheckles for the local committee proposed etc.
how can this "farming" pay, there is a huge environmental cost, its hugely subsidised and there appears to be carte blanch from on high to do what they like. it has so little benefit to the local community, economy and employment. it serves only the shareholders of a norwegian company

why the hell should householders have to pay for water, with craic like this going on!

all the SAC, national heritage areas etc. exist on paper only - just look at the turf cutting. it appears plenty is ignored at higher government but be sure youll get the points on your licence if you break a light...

Bradan you are doing my blood pressure no good. You probably saw that documentary from a couple of years ago on Marine Harvest and their carry on in Chile. Where there is weak governance they seem to do pretty much whatever they like. They should be right at home here...

Sent from my GT-S5369 using Tapatalk 2

if they are ploughing on ahead regardless of what any Irish agency has told them and if the response or lack of from our own people is inappropriate then please report this to the EU Commission. Work of this sort in a SAC is totally illegal and while our own councils and Ministers are generally powerless/unwilling to interject, the EU will take a firm stance on this

if they are ploughing on ahead regardless of what any Irish agency has told them and if the response or lack of from our own people is inappropriate then please report this to the EU Commission. Work of this sort in a SAC is totally illegal and while our own councils and Ministers are generally powerless/unwilling to interject, the EU will take a firm stance on this

Already in hand I believe...

Good to hear. I am of the growing opinion that if you want something done in Ireland the the EU is the place to seek it. All our own seem interested in doing is 'passing the buck' or burying their heads in the sand.

Get yer man Ming Flanagan on the case!

I'm just not at all surprised by MH shenanigans.

So the farmers are not using chemicals to treat a disease as they have been accused of again and again but are using freshwater and your still complaining.

As for the SAC how much freshwater do you think will be discharged into that bay this weekend from the Spate rivers that in their very nature discharge periodic enormous volumes of freshwater periodically.

I know for a fact that the locals were generally happy at having fish farming return to that area of the bay and there are 8 family's better off as a result. There will be other family's happy when the fish are harvested and processed locally.

In that part of Connemara if someone is unhappy with a water pipe across their land it will be dealt with and there will be no running to Europe.

Caz

http://galwaybayfm.ie/galway-talks-keit ... -july-2nd/
I hope the link works, about 11mins 10 secs in is the conversation that is connected to this matter. Have a listen.

well said caz, nice to see somebody who knows what they are talking about commenting. i myself am just off to work to do a well boat fresh water treatment tonight. for those who may not know, the treatment that is done is to eradicate gill amoeba from the fish , it is not a disease as some people wouldlike everybody to believe, they are a naturally occuring parasite which multiply rapidly on the gills of the fish and will eventualy kill them if not treated. the most effective treatment is withFRESH water, something that we are not short of here in connemara.

well said caz, nice to see somebody who knows what they are talking about commenting. i myself am just off to work to do a well boat fresh water treatment tonight. for those who may not know, the treatment that is done is to eradicate gill amoeba from the fish , it is not a disease as some people wouldlike everybody to believe, they are a naturally occuring parasite which multiply rapidly on the gills of the fish and will eventualy kill them if not treated. the most effective treatment is withFRESH water, something that we are not short of here in connemara.

1. It's a disease caused by amoebae, which is why it's called Amoebic Gill Disease (AGD), that is the clinical name.
2. Where are you getting your fresh water from?
3. Yes there is a lot of fresh water in Connemara, but there are laws to be followed before you can take it, build a 3km pipeline across scenic mountainside, and pipe it through SAC to a well boat.

Do fish farmers have no shame? Irish Water are charging people a fortune for water, and fish farmers think they can take as many million litres as they need for free?
A few questions: Why should fish farmers be immune to the planning laws of this country?
Why should fish farmers not be subject to the same laws as the rest of us?
Why should fish farmers be allowed to construct a pipeline across private land without landowner's permission?

AGD has been occurring in this country for years. Fish farmers are well aware of it, and know they will need vast quantities of fresh water when it occurs. Why is this being treated as an emergency situation i.e. ignore planning laws, it's an emergency and we need it now? Why couldn't they plan for this eventuality and get the required permissions in advance???

I've seen photos today from another river, where the fish farm has constructed a dam across the river, completely blocking the flow downstream, and blocking all migration upstream and downstream by adult and juvenile salmon and sea trout. Is that acceptable?

Good man Bradan. If any other industry - and fish farming is very much an industrial activity - tried this, there would be serious uproar on the the Bellnaboy scale, and the attempt to justify it as a "green" solution to an industrially created problem is beyond outrageous. I'd be generally in favour of fish farming when done responsibly but this is cowboy stuff.

So the farmers are not using chemicals to treat a disease as they have been accused of again and again but are using freshwater and your still complaining.

As for the SAC how much freshwater do you think will be discharged into that bay this weekend from the Spate rivers that in their very nature discharge periodic enormous volumes of freshwater periodically.

I know for a fact that the locals were generally happy at having fish farming return to that area of the bay and there are 8 family's better off as a result. There will be other family's happy when the fish are harvested and processed locally.

In that part of Connemara if someone is unhappy with a water pipe across their land it will be dealt with and there will be no running to Europe.

Caz

There's the nub - your view is that a few jobs are more important than the environment and adhering to the law - basically they can do whatever they like, break whatever laws they like, as long as they provide a few local jobs. There's no point debating with that kind of viewpoint as it ignores logic and law.

there will be no running to Europe.
Caz

You think? Well I'll be emailing a link to this thread to all my MEPs and I encourage others to do the same. You can have all the fresh water you want from the nation's resources when you apply for it and pay for it like the rest of us. This IS Europe, not sub-Saharan Africa. The rule of law applies here.

Bradan,

Irish agricultural farmers have been taking freshwater from lakes and rivers to give to their livestock and water their crops in times of drought for donkeys years so include them in your argument as well please.

Treatment for the parasitic amoeba only use freshwater during the summer and early autumn so it not all year round and as the pipe is above ground perhaps its only temporary. I don't see how its a risk to the environment but please do elaborate. If the County council wish to stop them then I am sure they will have to comply.

Fish farmers have been aware of AGD for sometime but have been using Hydrogen peroxide. Now they switch to being more environmentally friendly by using freshwater and you accuse them of harming the environment ?????? You cant have it both ways.

I've seen photos today from another river, where the fish farm has constructed a dam across the river, completely blocking the flow downstream, and blocking all migration upstream and downstream by adult and juvenile salmon and sea trout. Is that acceptable?

Of course its not acceptable but you are well connected to the IFI why don't you do something about it?

Caz

there will be no running to Europe.
Caz

You think? Well I'll be emailing a link to this thread to all my MEPs and I encourage others to do the same. You can have all the fresh water you want from the nation's resources when you apply for it and pay for it like the rest of us. This IS Europe, not sub-Saharan Africa. The rule of law applies here.

Even better, I'll be continuing my boycott of MH products.

AGD is very much a disease. Dress it up whatever way you like but the fact of the matter is, it's a disease. It is caused by unnatural practices regarding the raising of salmon. It is brought about by the unnatural practice of relocating smolts from freshwater to saltwater without giving the natural acclimatisation period that the fish would receive in the wild if they were making their way out to sea at their own pace. It is exacerbated by high ambient temperatures, over crowding and insufficient flow of water through cages; essentially bad farming practices and husbandry. In my view the problem is not an emergency, it is very much the result of bad practice.

I am not an expert on the matter, far from it, but I am contributing towards a PHD study on Amoebic Gill Disease at the moment......

Bradan,

Irish agricultural farmers have been taking freshwater from lakes and rivers to give to their livestock and water their crops in times of drought for donkeys years so include them in your argument as well please.

Strawman argument. You know well there is no crop growing in the area, and the vast majority of livestock are sheep being farmed on commonage where they aren't watered. In any case, justifying the illegal construction of a pipeline and unauthorised taking of water by pointing to farmers, who have to pay commercial rates for the water they take, is not just a strawman argument, but raises the obvious point that MH should be paying commercial water rates too - in this case that would be approx. €500,000 I believe.

Fish farmers have been aware of AGD for sometime but have been using Hydrogen peroxide. Now they switch to being more environmentally friendly by using freshwater and you accuse them of harming the environment ?????? You cant have it both ways.

Wrong again Caz. Hydrogen peroxide is used to treat sea lice, not AGD. They are not "switching to being more environmentally friendly", they are trying to cope with yet another disease caused by having too many fish in a small space. They will continue to use hydrogen peroxide and chemical pesticides to treat sea lice. In fact, they will use more, since AGD puts fish off their feed and in-feed treatments don't work, so lice levels rise, requiring more hydrogen peroxide treatments.

I've seen photos today from another river, where the fish farm has constructed a dam across the river, completely blocking the flow downstream, and blocking all migration upstream and downstream by adult and juvenile salmon and sea trout. Is that acceptable?

Of course its not acceptable but you are well connected to the IFI why don't you do something about it?

Caz

Something is being done about that one as far as I know.

again, the fresh water treatments being done on the farms is not to treat AGD ,it is to kill the parasitic amoeba that causes AGD.
obviously, the indicriminate damming of watercourses is wrong and marine harvest should be taken to task on this, on the other hand there is an oppertunity here for the state or private parties to profit from the fact that the farms need an easily accesed
sorce of fresh water for the spring/summer period. if a large multi national company wants to use the resource then control the access and the charge and use the monies charged to fund the IFI etc. grasp the opertunity. it would mean that the state would make some badly needed cash, the fish in the farm would thrive ,the farm workers would remain employed, and all the ancilary people involved would thrive.
also the water that is used is not treated water ,ie tap water, it is the best of irish bog,tea like amber liquid.

again, the fresh water treatments being done on the farms is not to treat AGD ,it is to kill the parasitic amoeba that causes AGD.
obviously, the indicriminate damming of watercourses is wrong and marine harvest should be taken to task on this, on the other hand there is an oppertunity here for the state or private parties to profit from the fact that the farms need an easily accesed
sorce of fresh water for the spring/summer period. if a large multi national company wants to use the resource then control the access and the charge and use the monies charged to fund the IFI etc. grasp the opertunity. it would mean that the state would make some badly needed cash, the fish in the farm would thrive ,the farm workers would remain employed, and all the ancilary people involved would thrive.
also the water that is used is not treated water ,ie tap water, it is the best of irish bog,tea like amber liquid.

It might not be treated water, but it is coming from the same lake that supplies the public water supply for the whole area. What happens if we have a prolonged drought and there isn't enough water to supply the public?

Completely agree about charging the fish farm companies for this water. Pay the going rate like everyone else has to, and don't go breaking the law when it suits.

If you don't mind me asking, where do you get the freshwater to treat AGD on the farm you work at? Since you've stated that MH should be taken to task for what they did, I presume your company has done everything legally and above board?