Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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105. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will establish a forum for the long-term management of sea lice on salmon farms, comprising experts from Inland Fisheries Ireland and his Department, and representatives from the tourism and angling industry at local level, in view of the failure of his Department's existing regulations to contain the incidence of sea lice, as evidenced already in 2015. [25452/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The control protocols for the management of sea lice are operated by the Marine Institute on behalf of the State and are 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

-treatment trigger levels are set at a low level

Aquaculture operators are required to comply fully with directions from the Marine Institute regarding lice control. In situations where treatment has not been sufficient to bring lice levels below treatment trigger levels the operators are directed to take additional measures. These actions include additional sustained treatments, early fallowing of sites and accelerated harvesting.

These control protocols have been the subject of detailed investigation and testing by the EU Commission which has confirmed that it regards the sea lice protocols operated in Ireland as representing best practice internationally.

Lice control during the spring period in 2015 has in general been good and the national average level for May was below the specified treatment trigger levels.