Flood Insurance for Commercial Fish Farms but not Peoples' Homes?

Press Comment - Friends of the Irish Environment - Jan 8th 2016

STATE QUESTIONED OVER INSURING FISH NOT PEOPLE

Friends of the Irish Environment have had no response to their letter to Minister Simon Coveney questioning his decision to ‘supplement and complement commercial insurance arrangements’ for salmon farms against ‘natural disasters’ and ‘adverse climatic events’ when the State will not do so for people.

Seafood Development Plan 2014 - 2020 plans to provide up to €2 million in state-backed insurance for salmon farms. The decision came after a salmon farm in Bantry lost 230,000 salmon in the February 2014 storm.

In response to a Parliamentary written reply to Deputy Clare Daly tabled for the organisation, the Minister said the funds were permitted to be used for this purpose by the EU for ‘safeguarding the income of producers’ in case of ‘abnormal production losses’ due to ‘adverse climatic events’.

In a separate question, he told the Deputy that ‘no insurance actuaries were currently employed by his Department.’

We don’t understand how the State can offer insurance to fish farmers against the worsening ravages of climate change disasters while no such comfort is offered to people.

Are farmed fish more important than people?

Comment and verification: Tony Lowes Director 087 2176316

Read the Letter

http://www.friendsoftheirishenvironment.org/attachments...0.pdf

PQ on insuring fish farms

https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2015-04-21a.565...567.r

PQ on Department’s actuary experience

https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2015-04-21a.562...563.q

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It is a member of the European Environmental Bureau and the Irish Environmental Network.

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