Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Commercial fishing licences issue each year in respect of Rivers and estuaries which have harvestable surpluses and where such fisheries exist. Harvest fisheries are only permitted on individual rivers which are sufficiently exceeding their individual conservation limit and in estuaries where all contributing rivers are also exceeding their conservation limits.

Management is based on the fact that each of Ireland's 147 salmon rivers, river sections etc. has a genetically unique stock of fish.  The conservation limit is the number of adult spawning fish required to sustain a healthy population in the individual river Management advice from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is supported by the annual assessments by, and advice from, the Standing Scientific Committee comprised of scientists from a range of organisations.  

In light of the scientific advice of the Salmon Standing Scientific Committee for the 2018 season and determined by IFI as ensuring sustainable exploitation and avoiding indiscriminate harvesting in line with the conservation imperative, 105 licences are available for issue to commercial fishermen in those fishery districts where waters are open for harvest. The Commercial fishing season opens on 12 May.

The Control of Fishing for Salmon Order, S.I. 83 of 2018 regulates the issue of commercial salmon fishing licences for the 2018 season.  The licences will be allocated on the basis of the criteria provided for in the Order.  I am providing a copy of the Order for the Deputy's information.

In 2007, the indiscriminate mixed stock fishery at sea was closed for conservation reasons.

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1151 and 1152 together.

The licencing of fisheries species is part of the management regime which reflects the make-up and characteristics of each stock.

The European Eel is a panmictic species which is a single spawning stock spread over the entire European continent.  Eels migrate as adults from European waters to spawn in the Saragossa Sea and the juveniles return to Europe in a random fashion. 

Management of salmon is based on the fact that each of Ireland's 147 salmon rivers, river sections etc. has a genetically unique stock of fish. Salmon migrate as juveniles and return as adults to spawn in the river of their birth.  Each individual salmon river has its own conservation limit which is the number of adult spawning fish required to sustain a healthy population in the individual river.

Management advice from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) for both stocks is supported by the advice from Stranding Scientific Committees comprised of scientists from a range of organisations. 

The licences issued for eel fishing were commercial licences only, no licences were issued for recreational eel fishing. The following were the types of licence available:

-Eye, gap or basket for taking eels in or on a fishing weir or a fishing mill dam;

-Eel trap as used under licence in Drogheda and Ballyshannon Fishery Districts;

-Long Line for eels;

-Coghill net for eels; and

-Fyke nets for eels.

Ireland’s Eel Management Plan (EMP) under EU Regulation 1100/2007, which included a closure of commercial fishing, was approved by the European Commission in 2009.

I have provided funding to IFI for a 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 3 year scientific fishery was commenced in 2016.

The latest advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) for 2018 (published November 2017) 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 status of the stock as being critically endangered".

No licences for Eel fishing have been issued since 2008.

Officials of the Department have written to the European Commission outlining Ireland’s intention to fund a support scheme for former eel fishermen.

In relation to salmon, recreational angling licences are issued as a national licence or specific to a Fishery District on an annual, twenty one day or one day basis.

The commercial fishing licences issued are Draft Net, Draft Net (Special tidal waters) and Snap Nets. 105 licences are available for issue to commercial fishermen in those fishery districts where waters are open for harvest. The Commercial fishing season opens on 12 May.

Commercial Salmon fishing licences issue each year in respect of Rivers and estuaries which have harvestable surpluses and where such fisheries exist. Harvest fisheries are only permitted on individual rivers which are sufficiently exceeding their individual conservation limit and in estuaries where all contributing rivers are also exceeding their conservation limits.