Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The national seafood programme states "the targets for increased productive capacity for salmon will now have to be deferred until after 2013 as a result of the amendments made to this Programme" until such time as the sea lice issue has been satisfactorily resolved. A senior official in the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has made it very clear that, as far as the Department is concerned, there has been no resolution of the issue. At the Joint sub-Committee on Fisheries last week he said: "What we have suggested is an independent review of all the scientific data from both sets of stakeholders, which would allow for some level of accord among stakeholders."

Will the Minister clarify the apparent contradiction in the seafood programme of his Department that a moratorium is in place until this issue is cleared? It is clear that the issue of sea lice has not been satisfactorily resolved and that another Department went on the record last week stating there was conflicting evidence, an issue which had not been resolved? Is a moratorium in place or not?

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