THE DEPARTMENT OF Agriculture, Food and the Marine has said it’s been informed that a damaged cage has been repaired following reports of an escape of around 10,000 farmed salmon.

The Department said it received notification from the Licensee on 13 August that there had been an escape of salmon from one cage at a site licensed to Docon Limited in Killary Harbour, Co Galway. 

A Department spokesperson said the Licensee has “advised that the damaged cage has been repaired” and that the Department’s Marine Engineering Division is currently preparing a report on the incident.

Licensees are required to inform the Department within 24 hours of any “abnormal losses” and to ensure cages are in a “good and proper state of repair”.

Salmon Watch Ireland was formed in 2004 and its stated aim is to “highlight the alarming decline of Atlantic salmon in Ireland”.

In a statement last week, Salmon Watch Ireland said it was informed of a “large escape of farmed salmon” on 11 August.

It estimated that around 10,000 salmon escaped from the cage and that large numbers could be seen in the harbour.

Meanwhile, Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages (GBASC) said it too was informed of a “major escape of farmed salmon” from Killary Harbour on 11 August.

The figure of 10,000 was its lowest estimate, and GBASC said the number could be as large as 30,000. 

It warned that the escape could have “a devastating impact on the Erriff and Delphi rivers flowing into Killary Harbour and other nearby rivers, such as Kylemore River, Clifden River, Culfin River and Ballynahinch River, if these escapees are not recaptured”.

Billy Smyth, chairperson of the GBASC, also said there have been reports of “large numbers of farmed salmon” in the harbour.

The salmon farm is operated by Mannin Bay Salmon Company and in a comment to The Irish Times, it said one of its “divers discovered a tear on one of our nets on the routine dive”.

“Upon discovery the net was repaired by the divers in the water and was subsequently replaced with a new one,” it added.

The Mannin Bay Salmon Company also said the “number that escaped was insignificant”.

The company also told The Irish Times that it will place “specialised trap nets” at the west of the cages and it is “hoped this will much reduce the possibility of any of the fish heading up into the Erriff or Delphi fisheries”.