Papers Today

// Aquaculture licence applications backlog reaches 618

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has revealed that 618 aquaculture licence applications await determination.

He said the large backlog of licence applications awaiting determination arises mainly because most of the areas for which fish farming licences are sought are part of the EU’s network of protected Natura 2000 areas. All such applications must be appropriately assessed for environmental compliance with the EU Habitats/Birds Directives. 

All aquaculture applications also undergo environmental impact pre–screening assessment. A comprehensive programme to gather necessary baseline data for these areas is substantially complete, and analysis of this data and setting of appropriate conservation objectives by the National Parks and Wildlife Service will enable all new, renewal and review applications to be appropriately assessed for compliance with the EU Directives. The timeframe for processing each particular application varies according to location, species, scale and intensity of production, statutory status of sites, potential visual impact, and considerations raised during public consultation.

By Stephen Cadogan

Thursday, July 26, 2012