Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 225: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he is in talks in relation to the privatisation of the Shannon fishery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36710/08]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I have held no discussions in relation to the privatisation of the Shannon fishery.

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 226: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the practice of removing large quantities of glass eels from the Shannon Estuary and selling these eels to commercial third parties. [36711/08]

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 232: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide a breakdown of the research and surveys of glass eels carried out on the River Shannon; and the cost of same. [36717/08]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 226 and 232 together.

Under the Fisheries Acts, primary responsibility for the management, conservation, protection and development of the inland fisheries resource rests with the regional fisheries boards, in this instance the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board. I am advised by the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board that glass eels are not commercially fished or sold to third parties in the Shannon Estuary. Since 2000, the Board has managed the operation of the Shannon estuary glass eel fishery in partnership with the ESB Fisheries Conservation Division, which purchases the catch for the purpose of stocking above Ardnacrusha Hydro Dam.

I am advised that prior to 2000, ESB Fisheries Conservation carried out experimental glass eel fishing on the Bunratty River, Rine River and River Maigue at a cost of €31,000 in 1997, €25,000 in 1998 and €21,000 in 1999.

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 227: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on whether the hydro plants on the Shannon and Erne systems has damaged fish stock numbers due to the disruption of the movement of fish stocks; and if he plans to rectify this situation. [36712/08]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Migratory species such as Atlantic salmon and European Eel are affected by hydroelectric generation. Prior to the collapse of previously healthy salmon stocks following an outbreak of the Ulcerative Dermal Necrosis disease in the late 1960s and early 1970s, I am advised that there were tens of thousands of adult salmon migrating through both the Shannon and Erne stations, decades after the construction of the hydro schemes.

There are a series of combined factors that can negatively affect salmon survival including the reduction and degradation of habitat with the advent of the arterial drainage scheme, pollution, afforestation, intensive farming, overfishing and the more recent sharp decline in marine survival. There are many initiatives under way which seek to address these impacts but I understand that it may take many years for improvements to occur.

Obstacles to migration in river systems are one of the several factors causing the decline in the eel population. Silver eel escapement at hydropower stations is seen as critical in the attainment of the recovery of the stock. I understand the ESB, in conjunction with the National University of Ireland, Galway, are currently engaged in telemetry studies of migrating silver eel and plan to test the use of hydro acoustic technology for deflecting downstream migrating silver eel into the bypass channel on the River Shannon. The ESB currently reduces such mortality on the Shannon by means of "trap and transport" operations whereby eels are captured for release downstream of Ardnacrusha dam. I am informed that the extension of this practice to other hydro schemes, particularly the Erne system, is being considered as part of the process of developing our national and river basin district Eel Management Plans, an obligation under Council Regulation EC No.1100/2007, establishing measures for the recovery of the stock of European eel.

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 228: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the tonnage of eels captured in the Shannon system for each of the years 1997 to 2007 inclusive. [36713/08]

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 229: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the amount of glass eels released upriver of both the hydro electro plants on the Shannon and Erne river systems. [36714/08]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 229 together.

I am advised that the quantity of eels captured (including those transported around Ardnacrusha Dam) in the Shannon System in the years 1997 to 2007 is as follows:

In regard to the Shannon and Erne systems, ESB Fisheries Conservation has provided the following details of the catch of glass eels released upstream of Ardnacrusha Dam (Shannon system) and Cathaleen Falls (Erne system) for the period 1997 to 2007.

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 230: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on whether poor decision making in the past in respect of eel management has created problems here while the French eel fishery remains stable; and his views on whether a framework involving the stakeholders would produce the most positive results. [36715/08]

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 231: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason the tonnage of eels here has fallen from 600 tonnes in 1995 to 104 tonnes in 2002, while in France the tonnage in 1995 and 2002 was 320 tonnes and 392 tonnes, respectively; his views on whether illegal fishing may be the reason for the decline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36716/08]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 230 and 231 together.

I am advised that the European eel constitutes one shared panmictic stock, found all over Europe, northern Africa and the Mediterranean parts of Asia. In past decades, fishing yield and recruitment (i.e. juvenile eels) has gradually declined. Recruitment across Europe has dropped to between 1% and 10% of that observed during the 1970s.

It is not correct to state that the French eel fishery has remained stable. French landings reported to the FAO have dropped from 2,687t in 1986 to 415t in 2001. Similarly glass eels catch by commercial fishermen has dropped from 1,700t in 1978/79 to 80t in 2004/05. The main decline in French glass eel landings occurred between 1981 and 1985 and they are currently relatively stable although at a very low level.

FAO statistics for Ireland suggest that 400t (including an estimate for undeclared/illegal catch) was caught per annum between 1995 and 1998. In 1999 it was 250t and the annual declared catch since 2001 has averaged 101t per annum.

I understand that this decline is consistent with the European trend and in addition may be influenced by the inclusion of undeclared catch estimates in the historic figures. Declining catch, with little evidence of changing effort, is likely to be caused by the falling recruitment and declining local stocks. Fishing pressure, legal or illegal, hydropower mortality and environmental pressure on habitats across Europe are thought to have contributed to this decline. I am informed that it is unlikely that illegal fishing on its own could have caused this decline although this is hard to quantify.

Given the shared nature of the stock, the challenge is to improve recruitment, upon which recovery of the stock is heavily dependent. Recently the European Community has taken up the challenge to design a sustainable management system across the various Member States by adopting a regulation for the recovery of the stock. This regulation requires all Member States to prepare Eel Management Plans for the recovery of stocks to be submitted to the Commission for approval by 31 December 2008.

The preparation of our national and river basin district Eel Management Plans has been overseen by an Eel Management Working Group which is chaired by my Department. The Working Group comprises representatives of my Department, the Central and Regional Fisheries Boards, Marine Institute, BIM, ESB and NUI, Galway. Among other issues, the Eel Management Plans are considering actions to address the impact of the undeclared and illegal fishery.

A public consultation process was also held over August/ September of this year. Some 16 submissions were received. The views received during the consultation process will be taken into account when the management plans are being finalised. Eel fishermen representatives are due to attend the next meeting of the Eel Management Working Group.

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 233: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on a financial package for commercial eel producers. [36718/08]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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As a consequence of Council Regulation EC No.1100/2007 establishing measures for the recovery of the stock of European eel, it is inevitable that the commercial harvest of eels will have to be curtailed from 2009 onwards. I will consider the detail of the issues which arise from that situation in the context of the finalisation of the Eel Management Plans, which must be submitted to the EU Commission by year-end. There has been full public consultation in relation to these plans recently.

I have no funds at my disposal for a financial package for commercial eel fishermen. It should be noted that this is a public fishery and eel fishing licences are issued annually in accordance with by-laws made under section 9 of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959, as amended, and there is no automatic entitlement to them. They cannot be transferred, traded or sold. No property right exists in them. It is illegal to fish for eel without such a licence.

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 234: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the number of prosecutions taken by the Shannon fisheries board in each of the years 1997 to 2007, inclusive. [36719/08]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Fisheries Acts, primary responsibility for the management, conservation, protection and development of the inland fisheries resource rests with the regional fisheries boards.

The Shannon Regional Fisheries Board is responsible for the management of fisheries in the Shannon region and the enforcement of provisions of the Fisheries Acts 1959 — 2003. Details of the number of prosecutions taken on an annual basis by the Board are published in the annual report for the Central and Regional Fisheries Boards. Reports from 2001 onwards can be downloaded from the board's website at www.cfb.ie/annual_report/index.htm.