John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the review on the status of the eel here and across Europe under the 2007 EU Eel regulation has been completed; if he will indicate the status of the eel stock here and the potential for commercial fishing in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41365/12]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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The International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES) advice is that the eel stock continued to decline in the period 2009 to 2011 and urgent action is needed. In 2011 ICES reiterated its previous advice that all anthropogenic mortality (e.g. recreational and commercial fishing, hydropower, pollution) affecting production and escapement of eels should be reduced to as close to zero as possible until there is clear evidence that both recruitment and the adult stock are increasing. In 2011, glass eel recruitment has fallen to 5% of their 1960-1979 level in the Atlantic region and less than 1% in the North Sea area, and showed no sign of recovery.

In Ireland, recruitment has been declining at many monitoring sites since the mid-1980s, for example in the 2000-2011 period, the glass eel catch in the Shannon was at 2% of the pre-1980 numbers. In summary, recruitment of glass eels and elvers remained low during the 2009 to 2011 period both in Ireland and across Europe.

In Ireland it is anticipated that there will be a considerable decline in silver eel production, as indicated by recruitment history, yellow eel stock indicators and modelled projections for index stocks. As part of Ireland’s eel management regime, every three years, a review of the status of eel stocks is conducted, this coupled with input from stakeholders, supports the decision making process on the future of the commercial and recreational eel fishery. Inland Fisheries Ireland has just completed a full public consultation on the future of the commercial and recreation eel fishery; the recommendations from this review are being finalised.

Inland Fisheries Ireland has made a number of reports on eel stocks available on its website including The National Eel Stock Recovery Plan, The Status of Eel Stocks in Ireland and The Implementation of the Eel Management Plan for Ireland.

The review of eel stocks in Europe is a shared concern involving many countries on a pan European basis and it is likely that a summary of all European reviews will not be available for some time.