Written answers
Wednesday, 29 June 2005
Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
Inland Waterways
10:00 pm
Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 294: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if his Department, together with Waterways Ireland, has considered implementing a catch and release fishing policy in the Grand Canal and if he has received any reports of netting and night-lining on the canal; the level of inspection carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23063/05]
Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Waterways Ireland, which my Department co-sponsors, is a North-South implementation body established under the British-Irish Agreement Act 1999. It has responsibility for the management, maintenance and development of inland waterways, including the Grand Canal, principally for recreational purposes.
Waterways Ireland has informed me that there has historically been no requirement to introduce a formal catch and release fishing policy on the canals because of a tradition among anglers to release coarse fish alive. Waterways Ireland supports this tradition and has erected signage along the canals to that effect.
Inspections relating to the matters referred to by the Deputy are a matter for the Central Fisheries Board, CFB. However, Waterways Ireland understands that the CFB has received a number of reports of netting and night-lining on the Grand Canal in recent times and, in that context, has carried out two inspections along the Grand Canal in the past fortnight.
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