A plan to manage the development of aqua-culture in Bannow Bay, Co Wexford, is to be a model for similar initiatives throughout the State.
The project, started on Monday, has brought oyster farmers together with environmental and other interest groups to ensure that aqua-culture is developed in tandem with other interests.
Only 2.3 per cent of the bay is licensed for aqua-culture, but the five farmers involved make a valuable contribution to the local economy.
Last year 200 tonnes of Pacific oysters were produced, with a value of £200,000. Five people are employed full-time and seven part-time in oyster production. In total, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) estimates 29 jobs are dependent on the enterprise.
A 20 per cent rise in production is envisaged over the next two years, but farmers recognise this cannot be achieved without regard to others with an interest in the bay, which is designated a special protection area by the State heritage body, Duchas. This provides for the protection of rare and vulnerable bird species.
The co-operative approach is part of a State-wide initiative announced by the Minister of State for the Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Hugh Byrne, in 1998, when he set up a scheme entitled Co-ordinated Local Aqua-culture Management Systems (CLAMS).
The scheme, developed by BIM, will result in a separate CLAMS document for each bay, taking account of issues such as the interests of all groups using the bay, as well as local county development and coastal zone management plans.
Bannow Bay is the first such plan initiative, but similar schemes will soon be announced for Roaringwater Bay on the south coast and Kilkieran Bay in the west.
Introducing the project on Monday, Mr Byrne said integrating the various interests associated with the bays had proved difficult in the past. "I live at one side of Bannow Bay and there are quite a lot of marine activities . . . The idea behind CLAMS is to bring the various groups together and to try to solve the problems before they arise."
A copy of the CLAMS document for Bannow Bay is now available in the county library in Wexford, where it can be inspected by the public.
It includes a concise description of the bay which details its physical characteristics, history, current aqua-culture operations and areas of future development potential.
There are also codes of practice for the cultivation of oysters that have been tailored to meet the needs of local producers, a framework for addressing and resolving issues arising from and associated with aqua-culture activities, and information on other activities in the bay such as marine tourism, bird-watching and wildlife.
Oyster farmers have agreed to keep operations within certain areas for the moment, with the rest of the bay designated as areas for wildlife and other activities. A commitment has also been made to keep aqua-culture sites in a clean and tidy state, and efforts are under way to have all disused trestles removed by April.
The document also sets out steps to protect the bay's Class A pollution status. Producers are required to notify Wexford County Council of any contamination. The council in turn will notify the CLAMS group in advance of any new outflow or change of outflow to the bay, including any new sewage treatment works.
With areas for future development limited, farmers hope to increase production by improving technology as well as sales and marketing techniques. The majority of the produce from Bannow Bay is sold to wholesale markets where it is repackaged and redistributed for final sale. Revenue could be doubled if oysters were sold directly to the French market, or under the "Supreme d'Irlande" label developed by BIM.
Mr Richard Donnelly of BIM, the local CLAMS co-ordinator, said there had been an "excellent response" to the project from the various interest groups. "The idea behind it is to let people know about aqua-culture in the area and to involve the local community. It says, `This is what we're doing and this is what we plan to do in the future.' It keeps everything transparent."
The Bannow Bay CLAMS group will meet on a bimonthly basis to review progress.
