asked the Minister for the Marine the conditions which must be met in order to turn a scallop bed into a managed fishery.
Written Answers. - Aquaculture Licence.
50.
The Deputy is probably referring to the conditions which must be met if an aquaculture licence is granted in respect of a public fishery area. Under section 54 of the Fisheries Act, 1980, I am empowered to issue aquaculture licences within areas designated for aquaculture under the Act. The holder of an aquaculture licence may be given the exclusive right to deposit, harvest and propagate one or more species of shellfish, including scallops, within a specified area. If the area in question is regarded as a public fishery, and this will almost certainly be the case, then an aquaculture licence in respect of the area will only be granted to a co-operative whose rules of membership allow any resident of the State to become a member of it where the resident fulfils all the conditions laid down by the co-operative and the rules do not lay down different conditions for different classes of people.
Once such a licence has been issued, the rules of the co-operative may not be amended without my consent and I have the power to direct the co-operative to amend its rules if it is in the interests of the good management of the fishery.