Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 97: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the mechanism available to a club (details supplied) to enure fishing stock can be maintained; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13963/11]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As a conservation measure to protect coarse fish stocks, my Department introduced the Conservation of and Prohibition on Sale of Coarse Fish Bye-Law No. 806 of 2006, which provides for an angling bag limit of 4 coarse fish in any one day. It also prohibits the killing of any coarse fish greater than 25 cm in length and prohibits the sale of any coarse fish in Ireland.

If the Club referred to by the Deputy believes that these measures are inadequate from a conservation perspective, they should raise the matter with Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), which operates under the aegis of my Department and is responsible for the protection, management and conservation of the inland fisheries resource.

If, following expert assessment, IFI considers a strengthening of the conservation measures is warranted, it will make an appropriate recommendation for a revision of the byelaws, which I will consider.