Save Ballyness Bay

27/10/2026

Many have asked for the main points in compiling their objections. Send your submission by email to: [email protected] before Monday 2 November 2026.

Let us outline just some of the many issues, all genuine concerns.

Our campaign began in the Summer of 2019. We object to the total disregard shown by the Dept of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board (ALAB) to the opinions of the vast majority of the community in their total opposition to shellfish farming in Ballyness Bay. Rather, there seems to have been noticeable bias by those two organisations in favour of the oyster licence applicants all during the licensing and appeals process.

We object to ALAB’s disregard of the wellfounded concerns that have been expressed for the natural environment in the bay, coupled with their ignoring of the most basic of the EU Directives to protect its rare and endangered wildlife.
A particularly dangerous threat is the introduction of non-native species of Clams and Pacific Oysters into the Bay and the denial of the well documented possibility of these to revert to spawning and colonise the surrounding area.

Ballyness Bay is a much cherished amenity in the community. It provides a health-giving location for walking, swimming, boating, angling, art, windsurfing etc, to the community and to visitors alike. Industrial scale shellfish farming will add pollution, litter, noise and daily and night time disturbance on the bay and on access roads.

Ballyness Bay is an increasingly popular beauty spot along the Wild Atlantic Way. That translates into tourism income that is a very important addition to the local economy. Arrays of oyster trestles would be an unacceptable visual blot on the bay as well as reducing its appeal to visitors and locals alike.

Wide experience from other areas all point to a marked deterioration in the local environment once commercial shellfish farming is introduced. We don’t want Ballyness Bay to follow the same pattern.

This is a hugely important issue for our community.

For all these reasons outlined and many more, we strongly object to the granting of aquaculture licences in Ballyness Bay.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir for all your support since we began in 2019.

A recent photo our our beautiful bay sent in by one of our great supporters.

16/10/2026

Many have asked for the main points in compiling their objections. Send your submission by email to: [email protected]

Let us outline just some of the many issues, all genuine:

Feel free to pick and use them.

Our campaign began in the Summer of 2019. We object to the total disregard shown by the Dept of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board (ALAB) to the opinions of the vast majority of the community in their total opposition to shellfish farming in Ballyness Bay. Rather, there seems to have been noticeable bias by those two organisations in favour of the oyster licence applicants all during the licensing and appeals process.

We object to ALAB’s disregard of the wellfounded concerns that have been expressed for the natural environment in the bay, coupled with their ignoring of the most basic of the EU Directives to protect its rare and endangered wildlife.
A particularly dangerous threat is the introduction of non-native species of Clams and Pacific Oysters into the Bay and the denial of the well documented possibility of these to revert to spawning and colonise the surrounding area.

Ballyness Bay is a much cherished amenity in the community. It provides a health-giving location for walking, swimming, boating, angling, art, windsurfing etc, to the community and to visitors alike. Industrial scale shellfish farming will add pollution, litter, noise and daily and night time disturbance on the bay and on access roads.

Ballyness Bay is an increasingly popular beauty spot along the Wild Atlantic Way. That translates into tourism income that is a very important addition to the local economy. Arrays of oyster trestles would be an unacceptable visual blot on the bay as well as reducing its appeal to visitors and locals alike.

Wide experience from other areas all point to a marked deterioration in the local environment once commercial shellfish farming is introduced. We don’t want Ballyness Bay to follow the same pattern.

This is a hugely important issue for our community.

For all these reasons outlined and many more, we strongly object to the granting of aquaculture licences in Ballyness Bay.

15/10/2026

Noise and disturbance on access roads 24 hours are a concern for local residents.

15/10/2026

14/10/2026

To see what Ballyness bay could look like, take a look at Marameelen Bay outside Dungloe. Look out on to an industrial sized Pacific Oyster farm, it’s horrendous!

14/10/2026

Licences applied for in 2019 in Ballyness bay and licences granted by the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine in 2024. Do you want this destruction in Ballyness bay?

Once a bay has aquaculture status it’s open season for more licences as we’ve learned from other areas of Ireland.

Submissions can be sent to [email protected] before 2 November 2026

13/10/2026

“A disgusting mess along Lough Foyle and on the banks in the mid Foyle also” (in relation to oyster farming)

13/10/2026

From a loyal supporter we know since we began in 2019:

“Actually, Pacific Oysters are detrimental to Native Oysters. They filter feed a massive amount of nutrients from the water and grow quickly, therefore starving native species which take longer to feed and grow. A retired fisherman from Lough Foyle told me last year the native Foyle oysters had shells on them like cream crackers. This is a result of undernourishment and not exposure to too much fresh water as Pacific Oyster farmers claim.”

Non native pacific oysters create hard reefs on local beaches which have to be hammered broken 🔨 ⚒️🦪

12/10/2026

A recent comment by a supporter who understands this issue already. Unfortunately Donegal has a lot of oyster farms already… It’s a lucrative business and 0% VAT on production.