Aquaculture

Aquaculture is divided primarily between finfish, shellfish and seaweed species, and an aquaculture licence is required for this activity. Some aquaculture takes place on land but the vast majority of aquaculture activity takes place in the marine environment on the foreshore, with the main activity concentrated on the south, west and northwest coast. Aquaculture licensing is administered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). The licensing process takes account of issues such as hydrodynamic conditions, visual impact, impacts on Natura 2000 sites, other marine users and native fish stocks