Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputies O'Rourke and White for raising this important issue and for their wonderful contributions. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Ryan.

Earlier this decade, scientific research conducted by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, ICES, indicated that the European eel stock is now outside safe biological limits. It advised that a recovery plan be developed for the whole stock of European eel as a matter of urgency and that exploitation and other human activities affecting the stock be reduced to as close to zero as possible. The EU brought forward a Council regulation to establish a new framework for the recovery and sustainable use of the stock of European eel.

As required under the regulation, Ireland submitted a Government approved draft eel management plan to the Commission for approval earlier this year. Given the perilous state of eel stocks in Ireland, as demonstrated in the assessment contained in the plan, and consideration by management of other factors, such as protection costs, the implementation of the data collection regulation and the eel regulation's traceability requirements, four main management actions aimed at reducing eel mortality and increasing silver eel escapement in Irish waters were identified. Those are a cessation of the commercial eel fishery and closure of the market, ensuring upstream migration of juvenile eel at barriers, the improvement of water quality in eel habitats, and the mitigation of the impact of hydropower, including the introduction by the ESB of a comprehensive silver eel trap and transport plan on the Shannon and Erne rivers.

The Irish eel fishery harvested approximately 100 tonnes per annum and there are up to 150 fishermen who held a maximum of 296 licences, not all of which were actively fished. Catches have been declining over recent years because of the status of stocks. Eel fishing is not a full-time occupation and is restricted to certain months of the year.

Last week the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources signed by-laws to give effect to the national eel management plan put in place to protect our dwindling eel stocks. The by-laws closed the commercial and recreational eel fishery until June 2012. The decision to cease the eel fishery was taken to support a recovery of the stock in the shortest time possible.

Under the regulation, all aspects of the plan must be reviewed in 2012. This review will consider whether the eel fishery and market could be reopened in any river basin district in light of the data gathered in the interim and the performance of stocks. At that stage, the by-laws will be reviewed. However, when the last 20 years of poor recruitment of juvenile eels is taken into account, it is likely that the adult eel stock in Irish waters will continue to decline for at least the next decade.

The ESB, as part of its implementation of the eel plan, will advertise for tenders next week to undertake trap and transport operations. Ambitious targets have been set within the plan, including the transport of at least 40 tonnes of eel around the turbines at Ardnacrusha and Ballyshannon. The Minister is also alert to the concerns and the impact the necessary conservation measures will have on commercial eel fishermen. Experienced eel fishermen would be in a very strong position to tender competitively for the provision of the trap and transport operations for ESB. The Minister encourages them in their efforts to form the appropriate co-operatives or other ventures to best compete for these contracts. There will also be a limited amount of fishing associated with the research and monitoring to be carried out under the plan. This will be in the region of 150 man days spread over seven water bodies.

The low recruitment of juvenile eels in 2009 appears to be the worst yet and gives rise to serious concern for the future of the eel. We owe it to future generations to do whatever we can to save this vulnerable species, not only for its own sake but also to protect ecological biodiversity. To do otherwise would consign our remaining stock, challenged by so many pressures from ocean changes due to global warming to habitat degradation to parasites and disease to possible extinction.

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