Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to come before the joint committee today to discuss the motion. The motion seeks the joint committee’s approval for the Fisheries (Commercial Fishing Licences) (Alteration of Duties and Fees) Order 2022, which prescribes the licence duties payable in respect of salmon, eels and oyster commercial fishing and dealers' licences that fall to be issued or renewed in 2022. Commercial fishing for eel is currently not permitted, in line with Ireland’s eel management plan approved by the European Commission under EU Regulation 1100/2007 due to the perilous state of the stock. The European eel is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN, red list as a critically endangered species.

In keeping with Government policy and the commitment first given in 2003 in front of the then joint committee, adjustments, if any, were to be applied in line with the consumer price index, CPI. However following the reduction in licence duties in 2010, in response to the then prevailing economic circumstances, no adjustments, either increase or reduction, have since been recommended by Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, for approval of Ministers regardless of increases in the CPI. It was always envisaged that the licence duty levels prevailing before 2010 would be restored. Hence the recommendation of IFI is to restore the duty level to pre-reduction levels in as far as practical.

Since the cessation of mixed stock fishing in 2007 in line with scientific advice, commercial salmon fishing is limited to only those rivers with stocks that are exceeding conservation limits. This licence duty restoration will apply to wild salmon, oyster fishing and dealers' licences. The proposed restoration of duty levels for commercial fishing licences is consistent with my decision in December last year to restore the duties on certain categories of salmon rod licences as set down in the published Salmon Rod Ordinary Licences (Alteration of Duties) Order 2021 and the Special Tidal Waters (Special Local Licences) (Alteration of Duties) Order 2021. The proceeds from the sale of salmon licences, both rod and commercial, amounts to €900,000 per annum with the vast majority attributed to the rod licence duty. A 50% component of all licence duties collected in respect of both commercial salmon fishing licences and salmon rod licences is ring-fenced to be invested in salmon stock rehabilitation and habitat improvement providing ecological and conservation dividends for the stocks.

I thank the Chairman and committee for their attention and I trust that the committee will recommend that the Oireachtas should pass the motion approving the licence duties for 2022.