Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 1144: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the quota for salmon for each river for 2007 and 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1847/09]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 1145: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the conservation limits for salmon for each river for the years 2007 and 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1848/09]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1144 and 1145 together.

The information sought by the Deputy in respect of the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for salmon for 2007 is available in the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations (No.2) 2006 (S.I. No. 672 of 2006) and in respect of 2008 in the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 849 of 2007) and can be viewed on the Department's website at www.dcenr.gov.ie/natural .

The Conservation Limits for salmon in respect of 2007 are available in Table 1 in the "Report of the Standing Scientific Committee on the status of Irish stocks in 2007 and precautionary catch advice for 2008" and can be viewed on the Department's website at www.dcenr.gov.ie/natural. It should be noted that Conservation Limits remain the same and do not vary from year to year. The Report of the Standing Scientific Committee on the status of the stocks in 2008 will be published on the Department's website as soon as it becomes available.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 1146: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the revised counter system installed in the Wexford area rivers has been or is expected to be successful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1850/09]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I have been advised by the Eastern Regional Fisheries Board that there are plans to install a full fish counter at Clohamon on the Slaney River in County Wexford, to replace the existing partial fish counter. The technology in the new counter will provide more accurate and efficient information and is scheduled to be completed during 2009.

Fish counters, however, represent only one of the methods by which stocking levels are assessed. Reliance is also placed on expert analysis of catch data and surveys by fisheries officers and research officers of spawning beds, fish populations and habitats. I am confident that improved information can lead to better management of stocks in the Wexford rivers.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 1147: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on whether the fish counter on the River Boyne for salmon is located in the wrong place and is the least effective location for salmon counting by the current method being used; if he has plans to replace the present device; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1851/09]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I have been advised by the Marine Institute that the fish counter on the river Boyne is located downstream of Navan at Blackcastle weir. This site was selected because it met with all of the criteria for installing fish counters. The site is described as an ideal experimental site to carry out scientific investigations into fish passage, stock dynamics, marine survival and fish behaviour as it combines a number of counting technologies, infra red counters, resistivity counters, mark and recapture and coded wire tagging. While the counter covers most of the river at most water levels, very high water will lead to fish being able to access the river over the uncounted weir section. In this regard a correction is currently used to estimate the number of fish passing over the weir, which is standard practice for all partial counters.

There is a monitoring programme being developed currently by the Central and Regional Fisheries Boards and the Marine Institute to assess, by means of electronic fish tagging, the number of fish being missed by the fish counter. This would refine the correction factor already in use to estimate the true size of the population. The Eastern Regional Fisheries Board is also to undertake a feasibility study on the replacement of the partial counter with a full counter on the Boyne. Fish counters, however, represent only one of the methods by which stocking levels are assessed. Reliance is also placed on expert analysis of catch data, surveys by fisheries officers and research officers of spawning beds, fish populations and habitats.