Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 230: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the type of boats which have been stopped from crab fishing on the west coast and north-west coast; the commencement date of the order; the conditions which were placed on same; the type of boats which the order applies to; if same includes onshore and outside the State limit boats; if there is a quota on crab fishing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36285/05]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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New fishing effort limitations for, inter alia, crab, edible crab and spider crab, were established under EU Regulation No. 1415/2004 of 19 July 2004. Separate limits, expressed in kilowatt days, were established for Ireland for International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, ICES, areas V and VI, which includes the waters off the north-west coast of Ireland, and for ICES area VII, which covers the rest of the waters off the Irish coast including the west coast. Within the area VII allocation there was also a sub-allocation for the biologically sensitive area, BSA, or new Irish Box.

While there are no catch quotas for these fisheries, the effort limitations require that the fisheries be managed at national level and closed where effort limitations are reached. The closure on the west and north-west coasts referred to by the Deputy is implemented by the Crab (Fisheries Management and Conservation) Regulations 2005, SI 676 of 2005, in respect of areas V and VI, which came into operation on 2 November 2005, and the Crab (Fisheries Management and Conservation) (No.2) Regulations 2005, SI 705 of 2005, in respect of area VII, which came into operation on 11 November. These regulations applied to Irish sea-fishing boats over 15 m in length, with the exception of the area within the BSA where they applied to Irish sea-fishing boats over ten metres in length. However, the area VII fishery, with the exception of the BSA, has now been reopened for the period from 25 November to 9 December, and the area VI fishery has been reopened from today until 12 December after I secured additional fishing effort for this fishery. In the event of the effort not used and-or I secure further effort, I shall reopen after 9 December in respect of area VII and the 12 December in respect of area VI.

I am also pursuing a scientific case at EU level to increase the EU effort allocation for the fishery off the north-west coast, in order to bring long-term stability to this important fishery.

John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 231: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the number of salmon counters which are in place on rivers and lakes here; the way in which the counters are divided by region; the number of counters currently working; the amount which was spent on installing the counters; the amount which has been spent on maintaining the counters; the person who maintains the counters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36440/05]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The overall management of the national fish counter programme has, to date, been primarily the responsibility of the Marine Institute which has operated directly or by sub-contracting where necessary in order to maintain the objectives of the programme.

I am advised that the Marine Institute in conjunction with the regional fisheries boards, fishery owners, engineers from this Department and consultants-contractors has installed some 22 fish counting systems on the following Irish salmon and sea trout rivers: Dee, Boyne, Liffey, Slaney, Suir, Bandon, Kerry Blackwater, Laune, Waterville, Feale, Casla, Gowla, Invermore, Erriff, Moy, Ballysadare, Garravogue, Eany, Eske and Dungloe. Furthermore, I understand that the ESB has also installed fish counting systems on a number of rivers under its jurisdiction. There are also a number of fish counters on privately owned fisheries.

It has not been possible within the time available to extract from all of these agencies the precise information being sought by the Deputy. I have asked the agencies concerned to provide me with this information as soon as possible and I will forward the details to the Deputy as soon as I have received and collated it.

Since taking up office as Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, I have emphasised that I expect the regional fisheries boards and the Marine Institute to collaborate in managing the fish counter programme in the most effective and efficient way possible. In order to achieve this, the Department is currently reviewing the current arrangements in respect of the operational, data management and quality assurance issues for the national fish counter management programme.

I expect this review to be completed shortly so that an enhanced national management programme will be established within the available resources and will be carried out by the regional fisheries boards in partnership with the Marine Institute in 2006 and future years.

John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 232: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he has been approached by the European Commission regarding plans to conserve eel stocks; the way in which the plans will affect Ireland; when the plans will be implemented; if an Irish team was involved in negotiations at a European level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36441/05]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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On 6 October 2005 the European Commission published its proposal for a Council regulation establishing measures for the recovery of the stock of European eel to previous levels. I am advised that this proposed regulation has been drawn up following the work of a technical advisory group of experts, which included appropriate Irish representation.

The principal element of the proposed regulation is the establishment of national eel management plans by each member state. The key objective of each national plan would be to allow a minimum of 40% escapement of adult eel from rivers to the sea to allow for spawning. The national plan would set out the mechanisms by which this objective would be achieved and also the methods to be employed to monitor the implementation of the plan. The EU Commission propose that national plans would be submitted to the Commission by the end of 2006 and subject to approval by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries, STECF, would be operational by 1 July 2007.

In addition to these national plans the Commission also proposes that there would be a prohibition on fishing for eel for the first 15 days of each month. Once national plans are established and implemented this prohibition could be lifted subject to all the conditions set out in the plan being met.

I welcome the Commission proposals on establishing recovery measures for the conservation of glass and silver eels. While I also accept the scientific assessment of the status of the stock, there is some evidence to suggest that stocks in Ireland have not, to date, deteriorated as dramatically as elsewhere in Europe. Nevertheless, a full recovery of the eel stock will have benefits for both the international community and for the Irish fishery.

A number of issues remain unclear in the draft regulation that has caused much discussion between member states' scientists and on which clarification will be required. I am advised that the EU Commission's proposed regulation will be discussed at working group level and Council level over the next six months. Officials from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, including appropriate technical experts from the relevant State agencies under its aegis, will be involved closely in these discussions in order to clarify the implications of the proposed regulation from an Irish perspective.

In the meantime, the Department will work with relevant state agencies and stakeholders in Ireland to develop a national eel management plan. This plan, including the incorporation of the eel in the Common Fisheries Policy and the data collection regulation, will impact on traditional eel fisheries, pose challenges for fisheries' management and scientific structures and for other users of water resources. The aim will be to have this plan ready for submission to the EU within the deadlines ultimately specified in the proposed regulation when ratified by the EU Parliament.