Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1208. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of his remarks on 8 May 2013 regarding the issue of sea lice, his views on the indication by a company (details supplied), Ireland’s largest producer of farmed salmon, in its last annual report that it has seen a rise in the number of its sites infested with sea lice above the trigger treatment level, from 6.2% in 2010 to 13% in 2011 and 19.9% in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38102/13]

Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1209. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on the pilot 764/09/ENV investigation into sea lice and salmon farming (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38103/13]

Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1210. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason he cancelled the pilot project to improve sea lice investigation control efficiency in the marine farming sector in Ireland, which was agreed on the advice of senior officials on 21 July 2010 as part of the SEA process of the Aquaculture Operational Programme and was to be 100% funded by the European Union under Article 41 of the EFF, and reversed the decision not to increase the targets for farmed salmon production until a sustained period of sea lice control has been demonstrated by the industry by awarding funding to and instructing Bord Iascaigh Mhara to develop salmon farming and specifically to apply for a licence to double Ireland’s farming salmon production; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38104/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1208 to 1210, inclusive, together.

The Irish Seafood National Programme 2007-2013 is a framework programme under the national development plan covering supports to the seafood sector that are not co-funded by the EU. Most support to the seafood sector is co-funded by the European Fisheries Fund and is covered by the separate Seafood Development Programme 2007-2013. The Irish seafood national programme was an ambitious plan that foresaw Exchequer supports of almost €75 million being made available to the seafood sector over the three years 2011-2013. This was separate and additional to Exchequer investment under the EU co-funded Seafood Development Programme. Clearly the economic environment has changed greatly since these programmes were drawn up and the scale of Exchequer investment foreseen in the Irish Seafood National Programme has not proved possible. This has meant that not all of the Schemes originally envisaged could be implemented as originally foreseen.

As part of the original development of both programmes, a strategic environmental assessment was conducted. During the course of the public consultation on that SEA, the Central and Regional Fisheries Boards (now Inland Fisheries Ireland) raised concerns about the possibility of sea-lice emanating from salmon farms negatively affecting migrating wild salmon. The Minister for Communication, Energy and Natural Resources supported these concerns. Rather than delay the finalisation of the programmes, it was agreed to temporarily exclude salmon farms from financial support under the Programme until such time as the sea-lice issue had been satisfactorily resolved.

The Irish Seafood National Programme included targets for increases in production by 2015 for the main aquaculture species, including salmon. Because of the aforementioned temporary restriction on financial support to the marine salmon farming sector, arising from the SEA, the Programme acknowledged that the targeted increase in production of salmon would be adversely affected by the absence of development support. However, the Programme did not include any restriction on the development of the salmon farming sector itself, nor could it, and Government policy has throughout remained committed to supporting (without grant-aid) the development of the sector, in full compliance with law.

A pilot project was proposed in the Irish Seafood National Programme with the purpose of examining the feasibility of various additional measures for the control of sea-lice. This project was to be 100% funded by the Exchequer and did not involve the allocation of EFF funds. In the second half of 2010, there were communications in relation to the proposed pilot project between the then Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Minister for Communications Energy and Natural Resources. These communications related to the structure of a steering group that would develop and lead the project. My Department's records indicate that those communications did not advance beyond preliminary considerations, so the mooted pilot project never went beyond a proposal.

At present, my Department is processing one application for a "deep sea" salmon farm that was submitted by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM). BIM has submitted an application for an Aquaculture and a Foreshore Licence for the cultivation of Finfish near Inis Oirr in Galway Bay. BIM is an independent statutory body. The matters raised by the Deputy in relation to BIM are operational issues and are therefore matters for BIM itself. BIM's application and its accompanying Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is currently being considered fully in accordance with the provisions of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act and the 1933 Foreshore Act as amended. It would not be appropriate for me to comment further on an application which is under active consideration as part of a statutory process.

Ireland's sea lice control protocols are operated by the Marine Institute and involve regular inspections of marine fin fish sites by Marine Institute Inspectors (sites are inspected 14 times per annum). Results of inspections are provided to the farm operators within 5 working days. Results are also reported to my Department and to other interested parties such as Inland Fisheries Ireland. Overall results and trends are published annually. Notices to treat are issued to operators if lice levels are found to be above treatment trigger levels.

These protocols are considered to be more advanced than those operated in other jurisdictions for the following reasons:

- The inspection regime is totally independent of the industry;

- Data obtained as a result of inspections is published and made widely available;

- Treatment trigger levels are set at a low level.

In 2008, the State introduced a new Pest Management Strategy, supplementing the control regime already in place. Since the introduction of that Strategy, there has been a steady decline in the levels of sea lice infestation on farmed fish nationally during the Spring migration period for wild salmon. During the three years from 2010 to 2012, the percentage of inspections of farmed salmon where lice levels were below the treatment trigger levels has remained relatively constant at 82% in 2010, 87% in 2011 and 83% in 2012. The national mean lice level on farmed salmon during the Spring period has fallen from 1.74 in 2007 (prior to the introduction of the new pest management strategy in 2008) to 0.72 in 2010, 0.35 in 2011, 0.45 in 2012 and 0.19 in 2013.

Lice infestation levels on the sites operated by the company referred to by the Deputy were, in general, satisfactory during the period 2010 - 2012, including during the Spring migration period for wild salmon. There was, in fact, no significant rise in the number of sites with lice levels above the treatment trigger levels, although there were significant issues with lice control at one site. In response to elevated lice levels at this one site and following an active programme of treatments by the company, the management cell process, which is part of the pest management strategy, was invoked and the company was advised on the appropriate management of the stocks on site. The management cell recommended an accelerated harvest of all stocks from the site and the company co-operated fully with this process. The full results of the State's overall sea lice inspection and control programme are published annually by the Marine Institute and are available for download from the Marine Institute website .

In relation to the EU pilot complaint referred to by the Deputy, my Department forwarded all relevant material to the EU Commission, including material supplied by Inland Fisheries Ireland. In addition, the EU Commission arranged for Inland Fisheries Ireland to make a direct oral presentation of its position at a meeting with the Commission on 19 December 2011, at which my Department was also present. Following consideration of the scientific facts underpinning the State's control protocols for the management of sea lice, the EU Commission closed the case on 11 October 2012. Accordingly, my Department regards this matter as settled.