Dr. Rick Officer:

I thank the Cathaoirleach and thank the committee for the invitation to meet the joint committee this evening. I am joined by my colleagues Dr. Glenn Nolan, director of marine environment and food safety services, and Dr. Jamie Downes, section manager of our fish health unit. We welcome the opportunity to discuss the important work that the Marine Institute undertakes and particularly our involvement in the response to the recent Blackwater river fish kill.

Before we discuss that response in more detail, I will first brief the committee on the context for the Marine Institute’s involvement. The statutory remit of the Marine Institute is set out in the Marine Institute Act 1991. That Act established the Marine Institute as the State agency responsible for undertaking, co-ordinating, promoting and assisting in marine research and development and in providing services related to marine research and development that promote economic development, create employment and protect the marine environment.

In practice, this involves the Marine Institute in the conduct of environmental, fisheries and aquaculture surveys and monitoring to meet Ireland’s national and international legal requirements. We provide scientific and technical advice to the Government to inform policy and support the sustainable development of Ireland’s marine resources. Within that context the Marine Institute is the competent authority in Ireland for the implementation of aquatic animal health law. The relevant EU regulations are in the opening statement. This law lays down rules for the prevention and control of animal diseases which are transmissible to animals or humans. Our imperative is to ensure that Ireland maintains an excellent health status in relation to fish and shellfish in rivers, on farms and in lakes and that we remain free of the many diseases that occur in other countries.

As Ireland’s competent authority for aquatic animal health, the Marine Institute’s fish health unit is designated as the national reference laboratory for finfish, mollusc and crustacean diseases. That designation is made in accordance with the animal health law on the basis that the fish health unit has the technical expertise necessary to carry out analysis of samples in relation to diseases of fish and shellfish.

As the national reference laboratory for diseases of fish, molluscs and crustaceans, the fish health unit’s primary responsibilities are to develop, validate and implement appropriate methods to test for relevant listed diseases under the EU animal health law and the relevant annexes to the implementing decisions, as well as to test for potential emerging diseases. These diagnostic services are provided as necessary and in support of the management of non-listed diseases by operators, their veterinarians and other State agencies. We maintain modern and well-equipped laboratories, which enable the fish health unit to diagnose fish and shellfish diseases using a variety of methods such as parasitology, histology, bacteriology, virology and molecular diagnostic methods.

It is in this context that the Marine Institute’s fish health unit was called upon to assist Inland Fisheries Ireland in its investigation of the recent fish kill. We have made a written submission which outlines the engagement of the fish health unit in that investigation and a summary of our findings. Dr. Nolan, Dr. Downes and I now welcome any questions on our involvement in this incident.