Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 12 Jul 1990

Vol. 401 No. 6

Written Answers. - Sea Trout Stocks.

Peadar Clohessy

Question:

118 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for the Marine the number of sea trout caught in the Connemara, Clare and Kerry fishery districts in the past five years; the reason for the decline in stocks; and the measures which he intends to take to preserve stocks.

The Minister for the Marine (Mr. Wilson)

Records of catches are very imcomplete and cannot be regarded as reliable.

The number of sea trout recorded in the Connemara fishery district and in Counties Clare and Kerry during the last five years are as follows:

	Connemara	Clare	Kerry
1985	12,336	37	N.A.
1986	9,212	32	N.A.
1987	7,234	24	N.A.
1988	6,775	16	N.A.
1989	1,036	4	N.A.

As I indicated in reply to Question No. 37 on Tuesday, 15 March 1990, a co-operative research programme has been instituted to discover the reasons for the decline in sea trout stocks.

On the basis of preliminary results from this research effort, I recently introduced emergency measures to conserve sea trout stocks in the area between Achill Head and Galway Bay.

If results from research in other areas show a similar need for conservation measures I will consider introducing appropriate measures there, too.