A conservation group says it’s alarmed at a company’s application for a new fish farm licence in South Kerry after it had such a licence revoked.
Silver King Seafoods Ltd has applied for the licence to operate on Deenish Island.
It had its licence revoked in 2019 by then Marine Minister Michael Creed for allegedly overharvesting salmon.
The company has denied this, has appealed the decision, and continues to operate.
Silver King Seafoods Ltd and its parent company Mowi Ireland deny the grounds on which its licence was revoked.
It says it never harvested at the Deenish site, that zero blood water was spilled from the farm into the local environment and that the original licence terms were out of date, and contrary to supporting best practices.
The enterprise, which is owned by the world’s largest seafood company, Mowi, appealed Minister Creed’s decision to the Aquaculture Licences' Appeals Board.
The board has not yet made a decision and the company has continued to operate.
Conservation group, Salmon Watch Ireland, says it will be reviewing the application by Silver King Seafoods for a licence to cultivate salmon on Deenish Island and that it’ll make submissions when the application moves to public consultation.
Salmon Watch Ireland says it’s opposed to this type of development and that all such facilities should be closed; the group says salmon farming is having a huge impact on wild salmon and seatrout.
It says it's in contact with the EU on a constant basis and that the Deenish Island situation will be attached to its ongoing complaint to the EU.
Mowi Ireland says it’s properly maintaining its Deenish site with the application of best available techniques, and that for almost 40 years, the company, globally, has led the way in sustainable salmon farming.
