John Cregan (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 630: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the draft net quota on the River Feale for 2008; the salmon rod and line quota for anglers on the River Feale for 2008; and the number of sea trout over 40 cm in length tagged by draft net licence holders in the Feale Estuary in 2007. [17200/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Under the Fisheries Acts, primary responsibility for the management, conservation, protection and development of the inland fisheries resource rests with the Central and Regional Fisheries Boards. The rivers meeting their conservation limit and for which a surplus of fish was identified for harvest in 2008, are specified in the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations 2007 (SI No. 849 of 2007).

The above regulation also provides for the establishment of Fishery District Committees, which are representative of both commercial and recreational stakeholders, with whom the Chief Executive of the Regional Fisheries Board will consult in allocating the opportunity to harvest the identified surplus in each river.

The combined quota that can be harvested by commercial fishing engines and recreational fishermen from the river Feale in 2008 is 4,581. The Limerick Fishery District Committee met on 28 April 2008 to discuss the distribution of the quota and a decision will be made shortly by the CEO of the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board taking account of the advice of the Committee. One sea trout over 40 cm in length was tagged by draft net licence holders in the Feale Estuary in 2007.