Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 351: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will list all rivers in County Donegal that are closed to anglers; the length of time of each closure; if he will describe any pertinent plans for re-opening; the reasons for closures of the rivers; the numbers of counters on each individual river; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34142/11]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Regulations are made annually following statutory public consultation, for the management of the wild salmon and sea trout fishery, based on the scientific and management advice provided by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI).

Every year salmon river stocks are reassessed and any new scientific information is included to ensure that the most up-to-date information is utilised in the formulation of the advice. If a river stock is determined to have surplus fish that are over and above the conservation limit for that river, a total allowable catch (TAC) is declared. I am advised that if a river is not achieving its conservation limits, it is either opened for angling on a catch and release basis (with limited associated mortality) or it is closed to all salmon and sea trout harvest.

In accordance with the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (No 2) Regulations 2010 (SI No 665 of 2010) and the Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout (Closed Rivers) Bye-law No. C.S. 306 of 2010, the Abbey, Ballintra (Murvagh), Laghy (Stream), Bungosteen and Erne rivers in the Ballyshannon Fishery District; and the Isle (Burn), Mill, Clonmany, Straid, Owennamarve, Swilly, Donagh, Culoort, Lackagh and Leannan rivers in the Letterkenny Fishery District in County Donegal were closed to salmon and sea trout fishing during the 2011 season, given the status of their respective stocks

As the Deputy may be aware, I recently announced a 30 day public consultation process on the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (No 2) Regulations 2011 and associated conservation measures, which will inform the management of the wild salmon and sea trout fishery for 2012, based on the scientific and management advice provided by IFI.

The draft regulations provide, based on the latest assessment, the following changes to the status of rivers in 2012: -

(1) The Bungosteen river in the Ballyshannon Fishery District (closed in 2011) to open for catch and release angling;

(2) The Eany River in the Ballyshannon Fishery District and Gweedore (Crolly) River in the Letterkenny Fishery District (both open in 2011) are to open for catch and release only ;

(3) The Clady and Glenna rivers in the Letterkenny Fishery District (both open for catch and release in 2011) to close for conservation purposes.

Full details are available on my Department's website: (http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Natural/Inland+Fisheries/ ).

I understand there are five fish counters within the North Western River Basin District, which includes County Donegal. These are strategically located on the rivers Eske, Eany, Erne (2 at Cathaleen's Fall and Cliff power stations) and Clady. The information gathered from these counters and other index counters along with catch data and surveys of spawning beds, fish populations and habitats, as well as juvenile electro-fishing results are relied upon to determine rivers' salmon stock status.