Clew Bay harvesters lobby Government

Clew Bay harvesters lobby Government


Áine Ryan

CLEW Bay seaweed harvesters have now been supported by Minister Michael Ring who last week led a delegation which expressed its concerns about ‘the harvesting of seaweed along the west coast and the future of the seaweed industry’.
Minister Ring, who was accompanied by Galway West Deputy SeΡn Kyne, confirmed that the meeting with Minister of State at the Department of the Environment,  Paudie Coffey and his officials was a ‘very frank and open meeting with concerns being expressed by all in attendance’.
“Officials have now agreed that there will be more consultation with everybody involved and further discussions will take place at a later stage,” Mr Ring confirmed in a statement.
Clew Bay Seaweed Association (CBSA) was represented by its chairman, John Lambe and Kilmeena harvester, Jackie Higgins while  Eamon Moylette represented harvesters from the Connemara area. They argued the case in favour of traditional cutters continuing to harvest seaweed ‘in the sustainable and environmentally friendly way they have been doing for generations’.
Meanwhile, in the ongoing stand-off between local harvesters and a bio-technology company, a CBSA meeting in Newport last week ‘agreed that they would not meet with Bio-Atlantis or any other seaweed company while they have an application in for an exclusive right to harvest Ascophyllum nodosum in Clew Bay, as this might be construed as a conflict of interest’.
The harvesters agreed at the meeting  that ‘all companies interested in purchasing the seaweed would be welcome to tender for the Ascophyllum nodosum but the harvesters reserved the right to sell to the highest bidder as is normal commercial practice’.