Ireland’s leading maritime newspaper covering the Coastal, Fishing and Maritime Communities

MARINE TIMES NEWS January 20th:
No Resolution to Aquaculture Licencing Problems at Oireachtas

20-year licences are necessary to ensure the future of the aquaculture industry, because there is no encouragement for investment and development, nor to young people to enter the sector under the present licencing system, the Oireachts Committee on Fisheries and the Marine was told today.

The Department of the Marine, Bord Iascaigh Mhara and the Marine Institute attended the Committee meeting.

IFA Aquaculture was also there and highlighted concern about the present regulatory system, calling for a complete review of it.

Sinn Fein's Marine Spokesman Padraig Mac Lochlainn, was "frustrated" by what he had heard from State agencies with responsibilities in the sector, but who showed "no sense of urgency" about resolving them, he said.

A Aquaculture Chairman Finian O'Driscoll said investment and development was discouraged by the long delays in licencing and there was no encouragement for young people to enter the industry.

Department of Agriculture and Marine Assistant Secretary General Sinead McSherry outlined difficulties under which licencing had to be undertaken, the impact of EU regulations and other Departments impacted on aquaculture decisions because of marine protected areas, spatial impact, foreshore licences and other issues.

BIM and the Marine Institute also referred to other aspects such as environmental issues and impacts on other marine species.

State agencies indicated there were various studies and analysis projects being undertaken to possibly improve the situation.

It was stated that, because of the current delays many aquaculture farming operations were under temporary licences while 5-year licences, the present limit were under renewal.

Overall the outcome of the meeting did not indicate any immediate likelihood of a resolution of the problems of licencing in aquaculture.

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