Jellyfish invasion wipes out fish farm

Northern Ireland's only salmon farm has been wiped out by a jellyfish invasion, with more than 100,000 fish, worth £1m, being killed.

The owners of the fish farm at Glenarm Bay and Red Bay, Cushendun, off the County Antrim coast said the company's future was in doubt. "We are still assessing the full extent, but it's a disaster," said John Russell, managing director of Northern Salmon Co Ltd.

It is thought that billions of jellyfish known as mauve stingers were involved. The invasion last Tuesday lasted for seven hours with the jellyfish covering an area of up to 10 sq miles. At one stage staff in three boats tried to reach the cages, but such was the density of the jellyfish that they struggled to get through. Mr Russell said: "I've never seen anything like it. The sea was red with these jellyfish and there was nothing we could do."