Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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136. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if it is the intention of the Minister’s officials in the Inland Fisheries Division and senior management at Inland Fisheries Ireland to conduct retrospective appropriate assessment screenings on two bye-laws, namely the Pike Conservation Bye-Law (No. 809) and the Coarse Fish Conservation Bye-Law (No. 806) from 2006, considering that retrospective screenings of plans or projects are in direct contravention of the EU Habitats Directive in addition to EU case law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43160/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is currently reviewing the Conservation of and Prohibition on Sale of Coarse fish Bye-Law No. 806 of 2006 and the Conservation of Pike Bye-Law No. 809 of 2006 as part of an extensive work programme on relevant Bye-Laws that are in existence for over 10 years. This review is currently proceeding through IFI’s internal environmental assessment and compliance processes. No retrospective appropriate assessment is planned for the existing Bye-laws which may be subject to amendment in the future depending on the outputs from the review process and my subsequent consideration of those outputs.

Upon completion of this review, I will be in a position to consider any action in respect of the two bye-laws.

Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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137. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the reason no appropriate assessment screening was conducted for the Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout Ballysadare (Catch and Release) Bye-Law No. 1012, 2024 that covers multiple SACs, considering that other recent bye-laws legislating for salmon conservation in SACs have been screened for under the EU Habitats Directive, such as the Waterford Fisheries District, (River Barrow) Angling Limitations during Salmon Spawning Run Bye-Law No. 1011, 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43161/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As conveyed to the Deputy in my reply to Question No. 125 of 15 October 2024, following concerns raised about the unexplained mortalities of more than 900 salmon found in the Ballysadare river, I introduced an Emergency Bye-Law on 17 July which suspended all angling activity in the waters of the Ballysadare River system in the No. 12 Sligo District with immediate effect. The Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout Ballysadare (Closed Rivers) Bye-law No. C.S. 336, 2024 was enacted as a precautionary and emergency measure against any potential spread of disease that could occur in the absence of information on the nature of the fish kill in the catchment. Given the urgent and emergency requirement for immediate action to prevent any potential disease spread that could occur, it was not possible in the time available for an appropriate assessment screening to be conducted and evaluated for the relevant urgent Bye-Laws.

Scientific investigations including laboratory results from the Marine Institute and IFI together with advice from The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine indicated that there was no evidence of notifiable diseases and/or transmissible diseases or general issues of concern in the samples analysed. On that basis the Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout Ballysadare (Catch and Release) Bye-Law No. 1012, 2024 revokes the Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout Ballysadare (Closed Rivers) Bye-law No. 336, 2024. Bye-law 1012, 2024 forms a component of the overall emergency fisheries management response following the significant Atlantic salmon mortality event in July, providing for catch and release in respect of salmon and sea trout (over 40cm) in the Ballysadare River.

Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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138. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the damaging anthropogenic introduction of highly invasive fish species such as perch and bream into rivers that feed The Gearagh Special Area of Conservation (SAC), a unique alluvial forest in County Cork, has been recently highlighted on RTÉ Radio One, if he and his officials in the Inland Fisheries Division will continue to protect these non-native fish under the Coarse Fish Conservation Bye-Law (No. 806) 2006 contrary to the EU Habitats Directive and the Water Framework Directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43162/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As the Deputy is aware, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), in conjunction with my Department, is carrying out a review of relevant inland fisheries bye-laws in force for 10 years or more and their continued application. Bye-Law No. 806 of 2006 is being examined and reviewed as part of this exercise. The review process will consider relevant legal acts of the European Union including the EU Habitats and Water Framework Directives.

Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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139. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the concession on dead bait fishing was a sop to pike angling interests, whose quarry also pose a clear and present danger to salmon sustainability, when on 17 September 2024 he signed into law the Waterford Fisheries District, (River Barrow) Angling Limitations during Salmon Spawning Run Bye-Law No. 1011, 2024, to ban all forms of angling except the use of dead baits during the closed salmon season with the purpose of preventing anglers catching pre-spawning salmon in a SAC during their upstream migration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43163/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The purpose of Waterford Fisheries District, (River Barrow) angling limitation during salmon spawning run Bye-Law No. 1011, 2024 is to prevent anglers catching pre-spawned salmon stocks during their migration to spawning grounds through the River Barrow system or returning kelts - during the months of January, October, November and December each year. Over a period of time, such fish have become the target of increased illegal fishing activity along this stretch of the River Barrow. Given the declining status of salmon generally and in the River Barrow in particular, it was critical that I made and introduced this byelaw as a necessary conservation, protection and management measure.

This bye-law was introduced to afford an additional protection measure to salmon by prohibiting angling, other than angling with dead bait. It was deemed that dead baiting is unlikely to target accidental catching of salmon.