Mary White (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)

After many years of gestation, the Bill is before the House and I welcome the opportunity to speak on it. That there would be a new definition of how the boards are run is important. In 1990, I heard with great shock that four officers from the south western fisheries board had been killed in an accident in Ballycotton. I remember thinking what an appalling event it was. At the time, I was involved in life on the Barrow. I have never forgotten their deaths.

I am closely allied with many members of the Southern Regional Fisheries Board in my area, great rivermen who know the river intimately, patrol their stretches and know exactly what is going on. They can tell when the salmon or trout are running, what types of coarse fish are in the river and what types of alien species are growing in our rivers. They know about the lack of stocks in terms of the disappearance of the eels and insect larvae and the declining biodiversity. If one lives near a river and walks it daily, one becomes not only in tune with its wildlife and biodiversity, but with the colour of its waters, the flow of the river and what weirs do. For example, weirs have an important function in holding back waters in floods. The structure of the rivers should be protected by the new Bill.

The proposal to create a single national inland fisheries body is welcome to myself and others in the House and will provide for a more efficient and effective management of fisheries policy and more coherent policy formulation and will allow for the alignment of regional operations of local authorities with river basin districts. I am pleased that there will be a national inland fisheries forum and a standing scientific committee to provide scientific expertise for policy makers, whether it be in stock levels for conservation decisions or pollution monitoring for environmental protection.

I warmly welcome the decision of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to continue with his approach towards appointments to State boards and the Bill's provision for three of the nine members of the new authority to be chosen by the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. The Minister, Deputy Ryan, did this successfully in the case of the new Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and I commend him for doing it again. This type of approach is the beginning of political reform in the way in which State appointments are made.

The new body, Inland Fisheries Ireland, will face many challenges as it tries to look after the interests of everyone who uses our rivers. I refer, for example, to those involved in various types of fishing, such as snap net fishing, inshore drift fishing and eel fishing, which is about to be confined to protection measures. The body will also have a role in protecting our weirs and taking measures against pollution. I am glad that section 80 of the Bill relates to the effects of the flooding of rivers, and the streams that flow into our rivers, on biodiversity. We have seen in recent days that rivers and streams can have a decisive impact on flood waters. I am pleased that section 69 of the Bill allows the Minister to prohibit the use of certain nets on rivers. I have often come across stake nets that have been flung across rivers like the Barrow, the Nore and the Slaney. We know that anyone who uses a stake net is up to no good. I would like more patrolling of our rivers and an end to insidious poaching. At weekends, when I walk my dogs along the banks of the River Barrow at night, I often see people using headlights to help them catch fish. That is absolutely to be discouraged. Anyone who fishes by night should not be doing that. We should compliment the private water keepers from the clubs who do a marvellous job to keep an eye out for activities like stake net fishing and poaching on our rivers. I urge those with agricultural interests along our rivers to make sure they maintain the water quality to a pristine level, in the interests of the survival of coarse fish and prime species like salmon and trout. I notice that various species of birds, such as egrets, are migrating from Africa to our rivers as a result of climate change. I have a keen interest in the biodiversity of our rivers.

I welcome this legislation, which is long overdue. I look forward to seeing the new inland fisheries board in operation. It will not work on behalf of any particular group, but for everybody who has a love of the river. I refer to those who walk along the riverbank, fish in the river and row on the river, as well as all the stakeholders in fishing, such as anglers and coarse fishermen. We have a duty to look after our priceless aquatic environment. I am glad there are plenty of provisions in this Bill to ensure that the riverine environment, which many of us live near and love deeply, is protected from the worst aspects of modern life. I refer to the mistakes of local authorities, the actions of industry and the river pollution incidents associated with agriculture. We have to make sure our waters are pristine and uphold the biodiversity of our rivers. The sustainable future for inland fishing involves the development of tourism. When I served on the Barrow catchment committee, someone said to me that every salmon that is caught can be worth up to €1,700 to the local economy. When a tourist catches a salmon, he or she is likely to go to the pub that night to talk about how big it was. Even if he or she does not catch it, everyone will hear about the one that got away. Those who spend the day, or a couple of days, fishing are likely to spend money in local communities at night. I hope stocks will recover so that our rivers will be full of fish again and we will no longer need the ban on salmon and trout fishing that is currently in force. Tourism in this area should be sustainable, in the sense that it should respect the environment. Anglers should respect fish stocks and the countryside surrounding our rivers. We need to protect the great rivers in Carlow-Kilkenny, which is one of the finest riverine constituencies in Ireland, not for our sake or for the sake of any one stakeholder, but for the sake of future generations. The future of our rivers will be secured if we provide for responsible management and leadership. The Bill before the House will facilitate that.

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