Dr. Ciarán Byrne:

I thank Deputy Ó Cuív, who has a keen understanding of what we do. In a previous Administration, I had meetings with all State agencies responsible for State lands. The State is the biggest landowner in the country. The idea was to utilise State lands to the greatest extent. To that extent, the IFI is working very closely with our colleagues in the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. We have been activating rural recreation officers to get them involved in angling and we also worked on the national trails development programme. We are not there yet and there is a huge job of work to be done. The survey shows we are scratching the surface in terms of what we can do. In this context, I am concerned about angling but when one comes off the canal, one should be able to go fishing or on a Coillte mountain bike trail or a walk. It involves linking those activities.

In terms of the angling product, we are working with Fáilte Ireland. We have a strategy entitled "Travel, Stay, Fish & Play". We are responsible for the fish portion of that but, as others have pointed out, if the travel, stay and play elements are not sorted out, it does not matter how good the fishing is. If one cannot get in or cannot satisfy the kids or the wife, it does not come together. The initiatives Ms Campion talked about, such as with Donegal angling, show the suppliers realising that sometimes it gets windy and wet in Donegal and one may not be able to go sea fishing so an alternative is provided. Equally, if one cannot go lake fishing, one should give sea fishing a go. People are linking accommodation providers and chartered providers. Fáilte Ireland is helpful because it gives us a certain classification and people can get an angler's welcome. When people see the angler's welcome ticket, they know there may be somewhere to store the tackle, some freezer capacity for fish, somewhere to store bait or the ability to have lunches made when they are going fishing. These small things can make a difference between someone coming to Ireland and going elsewhere. We are working closely on that.

We have had many questions about the survey. The survey is the first part of our strategy, which we have not yet developed. The IFI is under three years old and this is the first time we have sat down to consider angling in Ireland in a comprehensive way. We are starting to get results that will form the foundation of the sectoral plan. We have huge figures but we must think about how to grow them further and where are the best places to grow them. In order to develop a strategy for angling, we must consider what we have currently. Where is there really good quality and where is there poor quality? Deputy McNamara asked about our infrastructure. It may be that we have a major deficit in piers but an oversupply of angling stands in lakes.

Deputy Ó Cuív asked about illegal fishing. Long before us, currently, and long after us there will be people willing to partake in illegal fishing. Perception is very important because it acts like a magnifying glass. With the advent of social media, blogs and Twitter, someone sees an illegal fishing net and can get onto Facebook. It can go viral. The perception of what is going on is worse than what is going on. Illegal fishing is taking place but we are working very hard to contain it. It is not as significant a problem as some make it out to be. The tourist will have a particular perception if they see someone with an illegal net, and that is what we are trying to avoid. Things move through social media very quickly and so what gets out on viral media is not the reality on the ground. People have posted comments on the IFI Facebook page and then genuine anglers on that river or lake have also commented that they did not see what was reported or that the matter was blown out of all proportion. Illegal sea netting for salmon and bass is a problem and we are working very closely with stakeholders. Deputy Ó Cuív pointed out that when people have shared ownership, instantly they have responsibility. Irrespective of what the State says or does, they take a greater interest. That is why we are pushing forward with the value of angling locally and people are starting to grab hold of the idea.

Deputy Ferris asked about depleted bass stocks. The bass stock is very much depleted. The estimate is that there is a recovery in the stock but only to 5% or 10% of its historic level. Bass is a commercial fish species managed for recreational angling. It is a long living species and it is not particularly suitable for commercial fishing. If the stock is fished hard for whatever reason, it takes a long time to recover. Much of the bass angling practised at the moment is on a catch and release basis. The reason the bass angling product is developing well in Ireland is because England, France and Spain have commercial bass fisheries but no bass angling. Ireland is the last remaining Mecca for bass angling. It should be maintained as a recreation angling species given the status of the stock and the biology of the species.