Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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848. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to reopen the hardship scheme in view of recorded salmon and eel stock levels; his further plans to investigate avenues of support to help young salmon and eel fishermen affected by the closures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26538/16]

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The Salmon Hardship Scheme was introduced following a Government decision in 2006 to permanently cease, for conservation reasons, the commercial salmon mixed stock fishery.  Under the scheme, hardship payments, averaging over €22,000, were paid to fishermen active in the commercial salmon fishery who availed of the opportunity to cease fishing and undertook not to seek a licence in the future. In excess of €25 million was allocated to the scheme to facilitate payments to fishermen, with a further €5 million provided for community development projects.  The scheme closed for applications on 31 December 2007 and ceased in 2008. I understand that all funds were expended and there are currently no plans to revisit such a scheme.

Ireland’s Eel Management Plan (EMP) under EU Regulation 1100/2007, which included a closure of commercial fishing for an initial three year period, was approved by the European Commission in 2009.  In accordance with the EU Regulation, all Member States' EMPs are required to be reviewed every three years.  Ireland's EMP and its conservation measures were reviewed in 2012 and again in 2015. In both instances, the review involved an examination of the latest scientific data and the conservation measures, the results of which were provided to stakeholders in a comprehensive public consultation process.

Based on management advice from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) and having considered all aspects of the 2015 review reports, the existing conservation measures in Ireland’s EMP remain in place up to mid-2018 at which time a further review is required.  IFI have been provided funding for a new collaborative research initiative involving IFI scientists and a number of former eel fishermen to further develop national knowledge of the species and its medium to longer term potential for recovery. This scientific fishery was commenced this year and is expected to continue for three years to increase data and knowledge ahead of further review of eel management measures in 2018.

The latest advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) for 2016 (published October 2015) is that “the status of eel remains critical and that all anthropogenic mortality (e.g. recreational and commercial fishing, hydropower, pumping stations, and pollution) affecting production and escapement of silver eels should be reduced to – or kept as close to – zero as possible.” There is no change in the International scientific perception of the status of the stock as being critically endangered.