James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 521: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason a person (details supplied) in County Longford has been refused renewal of their commercial eel fishing licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27360/09]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Conservation of Eel Fishing Bye-law No CS303 2009, which prohibits fishing for eel and Conservation of Eel Fishing (Prohibition on Issue of Licences) Bye-law No 858, 2009, which prohibits the issue of eel fishing licenses in any fishery district, were recently introduced in an effort to protect our dwindling eel stocks. For this reason it is not possible for the regional fisheries board to issue a licence to the applicant mentioned by the Deputy.

The bye-laws give effect to the National Eel Management Plan prepared in compliance with EU Council Regulation No. 1100/2007, establishing measures for the recovery of the stock of European eel and recently approved by the EU Commission.

The 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 prevent any from migrating and the number of elvers coming into the water was as high as it every was. The national percent escapement is calculated as being only 24%.

Stocks are in such perilous condition that the only way the target could be achieved was by undertaking a series of management actions including cessation of the commercial eel fishery and closure of the market, mitigation of the impact of hydropower, including a comprehensive silver eel trap and transport plan, ensure upstream migration of juvenile eel at barriers and improve water quality including fish health and bio-security issues. The effectiveness of these actions will be reviewed in 2012. In the meantime, the Central fisheries board and eel fishermen's representative will be engaged in investigating possible diversification schemes for the former commercial fishermen.