Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 283: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the tonnage of eels captured in the Shannon system in 2008. [43837/09]

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 284: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of glass eels released upriver in the hydroelectric plants on the Shannon and Erne systems in 2009; if there is a conservation plan in place. [43838/09]

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 285: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide a list of eel dealers licences issued by his Department in 2009. [43839/09]

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 286: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the current trap and truck operation is achieving the targets set down by his Department; the number of trap and truck licences granted; if it is possible that the conditions of the licences are open to abuse by moving captured fish to another jurisdiction; and the procedures in place to prevent this. [43840/09]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 283 to 286, inclusive, together.

The Deputy will be aware that there is an Eel Management Plan in place for each river basin district, prepared in compliance with EC Regulation 1100/2007 establishing measures for the recovery of the stock of European eel.

These plans were approved by the EU Commission, on the advice of the International Council for Exploration of the Sea, as part of the national Eel Management Plan. The plan provides for the management measures necessary to assist the recovery of European eel stocks and attainment of the targets specified in the Regulation.

The management actions relied upon in the Irish Eel Management Plan include the closure of the commercial and recreational fishery; ensuring upstream migration of juvenile eel at barriers; and the mitigation of the impact of hydropower, including the introduction by the ESB of a comprehensive silver eel trap and transport operation on the Shannon, Lee and Erne rivers.

I am advised by the ESB that the quantity of eels captured in the Shannon system in 2008 was 29,527 kg of brown eels and 27,158 kg of silver eel (the latter amount included 10,460 kg trapped by ESB at Killaloe and released at sea).

The ESB and the Regional Fisheries Boards have advised that elvers amounting to 148 kg at Parteen Weir and 7 kg at Ardnacrusha on the River Shannon and 88 kg at Cathaleen's Falls on the River Erne were taken at the ESB elver traps for release upriver in 2009 in accordance with the National Eel Management Plan. This represents a considerable decline in the quantities recorded in previous years and demonstrates the crisis in eel recruitment and its impact on the prospects for the recovery of eel stocks.

The Regional Fisheries Boards have also advised that a total of 80 kg of silver eels has been caught in the River Lee (target 500 kg), 6,325 kg on the River Erne (target 22,500 kg) and 19,000 kg in the River Shannon (target 22,000 kg). In accordance with the Eel Management Plan these fish have been successfully transported to the estuary and released to the sea to continue their journey to the spawning grounds of the Saragossa Sea.

I am advised that under Section 14 of the 1959 Fisheries Act a permit issued by the Department to ESB late in August 2009 to authorise the undertaking of trap and transport operations. ESB have entered into contracts with eight parties to carry out trap and transport on the Rivers Shannon, Lee and Erne on their behalf.

The trap and transport operations authorised by the ESB are being closely monitored by both staff from the ESB and the Regional Fisheries Boards in accordance with the contract conditions, statutory permissions and agreed protocols.

A database of the numbers of eels caught is maintained which is verified with the ESB and the contracted fishermen. Enforcement patrols by the staff of the fisheries boards have been put in place to detect whether others, not contracted by the ESB to carry out trap and transport operations, are fishing illegally. To date, no evidence of this has been detected.

Eel dealer licences are issued in accordance with Part X of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959, as amended, by the relevant Regional Fisheries Board. I have been advised that 2 eel dealers' licences were issued by the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board, 7 by the Eastern Regional Fisheries Board and 2 by the North Western Regional Fisheries Board in 2009. The licences are required to permit dealers to sell imported eels from other Member States, which comply with the EC Regulation including its traceability requirements.