Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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620. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his agency Inland Fisheries Ireland has at any time taken actions necessary to recapture any stock escaped from a facility for salmon farming operated under a licence as they are empowered to do under the legislation (details supplied). [13702/14]

Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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621. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the point in time at which he was notified of any possible escapes from licensed fish farms during the recent stormy weather; and if he was notified of any possible escapes from the storm damage on 1 February at Gerahies County Cork. [13703/14]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 620 and 621 together.

I am advised by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) that they received communication on 14 February from the company (licensee), in the location referred to by the Deputy, that it was likely that an escape of farmed salmon from their marine salmon aquaculture site had occurred as a consequence of very poor weather conditions which had persisted over an extended period of days.

I am also advised that, following IFI’s request for clarification, the company in question confirmed on 4 March that an escape had occurred on 1 February 2014. The confirmation indicated that there had been a substantial number of fish in the cages affected by this weather event.

An assessment of the number of escapee fish involved is a matter for the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine and confirmation is awaited.

IFI were not advised of any other potential escapes.

Taking action for the recovery of escaped salmon from an aquaculture facility is dependent on several key issues:

1. Immediate notification of the escape occurring - preferably within 24 hours as set out in licence conditions;

2. Early mobilisation of personnel and assets in the particular area;

3. Favourable sea conditions to ensure the recovery operation is safe. The presence of other cages and mooring ropes etc. in the vicinity of an aquaculture facility can make working conditions hazardous;

4. Wide dispersal of escapee fish - once an escape occurs fish can disperse very quickly and within a very short time it would be virtually impossible to recover in any significant numbers. Depending on the time escapee fish have been loose, they can spread out to sea or enter local rivers. In such cases IFI’s primary concerns are that escapee salmon enter wild salmon rivers and attempt to spawn either in the year of escape or possibly the following year due to the potential impact of weakening wild stocks which are genetically unique to each river. The success of recovery operations have always been dependant on the factors outlined above.