Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 175: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which Ireland's compliance with the EU directive on eel fishery conservation compares with measures taken in other EU countries; if sufficient consideration was given to the number of families who have traditionally relied on eel fishing; if the scientific evidence exists that eel fishing here is a major contribution to the diminution of eel stocks worldwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24333/09]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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As required under EU Council Regulation No. 1100 of 2007, Ireland submitted a Government approved draft Eel Management Plan to the Commission for approval. I am not aware of the content of the eel plans submitted by other Member States. These, along with Ireland's draft plan are currently being evaluated by the European Commission. Clearly the status of stocks in other Member States will differ from that of Ireland's depending on local conditions and their plans may make different recommendations. All must, however, clearly demonstrate how they would achieve the targets necessary for recovery of the European eel stocks. The European Commission is scheduled to report back on this evaluation by the end of this month in accordance with the EC Regulation.

I am alert to the concerns and the impact the required conservation measures will have on commercial eel fishermen. In 2008 there were 296 licences, taken out by between 100-150 fishermen, not all of which were actively fished. Fishermen were permitted to catch brown eels from June to August and silver eels from September to December. Catches have been declining over recent years because of the status of stocks. Eel fishing is not a full time occupation and is restricted to certain months of the year. Experienced eel fishermen would be in a very strong position to tender competitively for the provision of the 'trap and transport' operations recently advertised by ESB. I have encouraged eel fishermen to form the appropriate co-operatives or other ventures to best compete for these contracts. There will also be a limited amount of fishing associated with the research and monitoring to be carried out under the plan spread over 7 water bodies.

Eel stocks are a European wide shared stock with mature eels leaving European shores to spawn in the Saragossa Sea and the resulting glass eels returning to the European coastline. The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) indicated that the European eel stock is at a historic low and continues to decline. The returning juvenile eels are at between 1-10% of the levels pre-1980. I am advised that the low recruitment of juvenile eels in 2009 appears to be the worst yet and gives rise to serious concern for the future of the eel. Eel fishing is one of the factors identified in the Eel Management Plan as impacting on eel mortality, the others being turbine mortality, poor recruitment, and environmental and water quality issues. The Eel Management Plan submitted to the EU Commission sets out measures designed to address all these causes in an effort to save this vulnerable species not only for its own sake but also to protect ecological biodiversity. To do otherwise would consign our remaining stock, challenged by so many pressures to possible extinction.