Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if eel fishing licences will be issued following the review of the eel fishing ban which was completed earlier this year; if not, whether compensation will be awarded to those who had eel fishing licences in the past; the EU directive regarding eel fishing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43835/12]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I would draw the Deputy’s attention to the question I answered in this House last week, 2 October. 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. In that regards the issuing of licences to fish for eel is not possible at this time.

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.

In 2009 the then Central and Regional Fisheries Boards (now Inland Fisheries Ireland – IFI) engaged with the eel fishermen representatives to investigate possible diversification schemes. I understand that a number of former eel fishermen were contracted by the ESB to undertake Trap and Transport operations to mitigate the impact of hydropower schemes as part of the eel management plan. There is no property right attaching to public eel licences and consequently the issue of compensation does not arise, given that the closure of the fishery was applied for conservation reasons under the Fisheries Acts. Given that context and having regard to national economic circumstances, no provision has been made for compensation payments.