Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am speaking on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Kyne, who, unfortunately, is unable to attend. I assure the Senator, however, that I will bring the issue he has raised to the attention of the Minister of State. I will also ask the Minister of State to contact him directly to arrange a meeting with him at the earliest possible opportunity.

Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, is the agency responsible for the protection, management and conservation of the inland fisheries and sea angling resources. It was formed on 1 July 2010 following the amalgamation of the Central Fisheries Board and seven regional fisheries boards into a single agency. The State has more than 74,000 km of rivers and streams and 128,000 ha of lakes, all of which fall under the jurisdiction of Inland Fisheries Ireland which is also responsible for sea angling out to a 12 mile limit.

Inland Fisheries Ireland has a long history of providing rainbow and brown trout to support the fish stocking requirements of angling stakeholders. Its main fish production unit is located at its fish farm near Roscrea, with a supporting facility which mainly supports the maintenance of brood stock located at Cullion in Mullingar. It also has a small operation at Lough Allua. The proposal for the rationalisation of its fish farm operations is a day-to-day operational matter for the board of IFI. However, IFI advises that, from a structural perspective, the fish farming operation is based on physical structures and facilities designed and built in the 1950s. Since that time, meeting the increasing demands of operational and regulatory requirements from facilities that are dated has become more complex and challenging.

I am advised by the board of Inland Fisheries Ireland that it is IFI's intention to exit fish farming operations in the coming years at current locations, while maintaining one aquaculture facility at Cong, County Mayo which will be used for research and conservation stocking. This site has been identified as having the most potential owing to the quantity and quality of its water supply, which is an important consideration in fish production. Ultimately, the IFI hatchery at Cong is expected to be upgraded to a facility capable of housing modern hatchery and research operations.

Inland Fisheries Ireland also announced that it was always intended that the phase-out plan would include consultation with the affected stakeholders, to whom the Senator referred. The former Minister of State wrote to the chairperson of Inland Fisheries Ireland noting that it was IFI's intention to consult those affected prior to any action being taken and that a report on the consultation would be made to the Department. The Minister or State, Deputy Seán Kyne, recently met the board of Inland Fisheries Ireland to reinforce the requirement that a full report be made to the Department. IFI has written to the affected stakeholders advising that the farms are operating as normal in 2016 and that a consultation process will take place to develop the cessation plan.

It is important to clarify that the decisions of the board were not prescriptive as regards a timeline or particular option as to how IFI would exit commercial production. Inland Fisheries Ireland has reported to the Department that existing facilities are dated and in need of significant capital investment. In addition, the regulatory climate in which IFI operates has become increasingly complex in terms of fish husbandry, with all of its associated disease, aquaculture and discharge requirements but also in terms of other environmental legislation under which Inland Fisheries Ireland operates such as the water framework and habitats directives.

Inland Fisheries Ireland has emphasised that the board decided to strategically exit from the production of rainbow and brown trout on a number of grounds. IFI fish farms have operated at a significant loss in the past five years and while the agency has made significant efforts to reduce costs and increase efficiency in aquaculture operations, it has not been able to bridge the gap between costs and revenue. The IFI board has been required, therefore, to focus its resources on core functions across all divisional areas.

Inland Fisheries Ireland commissioned an expert review of its production capabilities, operational processes, facility design and technologies, as well as operational costs, in an effort to identify challenges and constraints in production processes and to propose practicable solutions to enhance productivity and performance.This review identified some major challenges, including those relating to environmental risks, the physical fish farm infrastructure and the current system for farm management. The fish farm near Roscrea has an issue regarding the level of water supply available. The current fish farm operations are subsidised by wider IFI resources because the price of fish for sale does not reflect the real cost of production. On balance, and having given due consideration to these factors, the board decided to exit freshwater aquaculture operations and has instructed the executive of IFI to develop a plan to facilitate exiting this business while making efforts to ensure continuity of supply and trout for stocking for anglers.

All permanent IFI aquaculture staff at facilities at Roscrea, Cullion and Lough Allua will retain their employment within IFI and every effort will be made to ensure smooth redeployment to other areas of the organisation. The board has already confirmed that no jobs will be lost and that all staff have roles within the organisation. IFI has confirmed that it wishes to inconvenience stakeholders as little as possible and that it firmly believes it will be possible to implement the decision with minimal or no disruption to stakeholders.

Given these considerations, IFI has announced the commencement of a public consultation process with stakeholders and individuals affected by the decision to exit freshwater trout production, with a particular focus on the potential impact of the decision and possible measures that could mitigate this impact. As the Senator said, the submission period is open until 5 p.m. on 19 August, and submissions may be made online.