Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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387. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department is correct in stating that the 1.65 million wild wrasse recorded as taken from Irish waters to eat the lice on Ireland’s salmon farms between May 2015 and November 2019 are culled after use, that this culling is supervised, the moralities transported and rendered and so recorded as the producer (details supplied) has stated that the surviving wrasse are released into the wild; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40840/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The use of wrasse on salmon farms is regulated under the provisions of EU Directive 2006/88 on animal health requirements for aquaculture animals and products thereof, and on the prevention and control of certain diseases in aquatic animals. Statutory Instrument 261 of 2008 – European Communities (Health of Aquaculture Animals and Products) Regulations 2008 gives effect to the EU Directive at a national level. The Marine Institute is the Competent Authority for the implementation of this legislation.

I am advised by the Marine Institute that wrasse fish are culled at the end of the salmon production cycle. This prevents the possible spread of pathogens that the cleaner fish may have potentially been exposed to whilst cohabiting with the salmon, into the environment.

The culling of cleaner fish is not generally supervised by the Marine Institute. The supervision of the culling process by the Marine Institute occurs only in circumstances where such culling is required to control the spread of a notifiable disease listed in Annex IV Part II of Council Directive 2006/88/EC or a suspected emerging disease.

Fish mortalities including culled cleaner fish are routinely transported to an approved rendering plant in accordance with Animal By-Products Regulations. Records of the disposal of fish are inspected annually by my Department’s veterinary inspectors in accordance with Animal By-Products Regulations.

Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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388. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if it is the position of his Department that the recorded removal of over 1.65 million wrasse between May 2015 and November 2019 to eat the lice on Ireland’s salmon farms will have no direct or indirect effect on any marine ecosystem including those protected species and habitats under the Habitats Directive, Birds Directive and any other relevant European directives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40841/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Responsibilty for the designation of protected habitats and species and for reporting on their status rests with my colleague the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Wild caught wrasse are widely used in Irish salmon farms as cleaner fish. Ireland is not alone in this and this practice is commonly used internationally.

The ecological risk, associated with fishing in Special Areas of Conservation, for designated habitats and species, is set out in a Risk Assessment Report prepared by the Marine Institute to assist in the management of sea-fisheries in compliance with Article 6 of the Habitats Directive. Recently, the Marine Institute has advised my Department that a programme of data collection of numbers of wrasse of different species being caught, location of capture and associated fishing effort should be developed in order to support ongoing monitoring and further iterations of the risk assessment.

I understand that the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority is taking steps to introduce logbooks for fishers involved and my Department will engage with the salmon farming industry to ensure that information required to support ongoing assessment of wrasse fishing will be forthcoming.

Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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389. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority has taken to stop salmon farmers illegally buying wild wrasse without the required first buyer's licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40842/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act, 2006, all operational issues of this nature concerning law enforcement of sea fisheries law are, as a matter of Statute, exclusively for the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA). I am expressly precluded from getting involved in operational law enforcement matters such as this.

I have referred the Deputy's request to the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority for attention and direct reply.