Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 23: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he is satisfied that it is necessary to propose the outright ban in rivers as a measure to conserve eel stock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10465/09]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Following scientific research conducted by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), indicating that the European eel stocks are in a critical state, the EU introduced Council Regulation 1100/2007, the objective of which is to achieve recovery of the stocks to previous high levels. The Regulation requires the Irish authorities to prepare a national Eel Management Plan for implementation from 1 July 2009 or from the earliest possible time before the date.

The EU target is clearly defined in the Regulation where it states that the objective of each Member State's Eel Management Plan shall be to reduce anthropogenic mortalities so as to permit with high probability the escapement to sea of at least 40% of the silver eel biomass relative to the best estimate of escapement that would have existed if no anthropogenic influences had impacted the stock. In other words, the Regulation requires that 4 kg of eels escape to sea for every 10 kg that would have escaped if people did not kill any or stop any migrating, and the number of elvers coming into the water was as high as it ever was.

Ireland's level of escapement is currently estimated at only 24%. When the last 20 years of poor recruitment is taken into account, I am advised that it is likely that the adult eel stock in Irish waters will continue to decline for at least the next decade.

Given the critical status of the eel stock, as demonstrated in the assessment contained in the draft National Eel Management Plan, a number of management measures have been identified as necessary to reach the targets set in the EU Regulation, including closure of the commercial and recreational fishery from 2009. It is also necessary to mitigate the impact of hydropower on escapement, to ensure upstream migration of juvenile eel at barriers and to improve water quality. The decision to cease the eel fishery was taken as a conservation measure to support a recovery of the stock in the shortest time possible, which if all measures proposed are adopted and if other EU Member States adopt a similar conservative approach, could be as long as 90 years (i.e. an average of 4 eel generations).

Under the regulation, all aspects of the plan must be reviewed in 2012. This review will consider, inter alia, whether the eel fishery and market could be reopened in any river basin district in light of the data gathered in the interim and the performance of the stocks.