Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 12 Nov 1996

Vol. 471 No. 4

Written Answers - Foyle Fisheries Commission.

Cecilia Keaveney

Question:

278 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for the Marine the proposals, if any, currently being considered in respect of extending the powers of the Foyle Fisheries Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21015/96]

Cecilia Keaveney

Question:

279 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for the Marine the areas of control governed by the Foyle Fisheries Commission; its current representation from the Republic; its current representation from Northern Ireland; and if he will provide a map of the area under its aegis as defined by the Foyle River, the Foyle area and its tributaries. [21018/96]

Minister for the Marine (Mr. Barrett)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 278 and 279 together. The Foyle Fisheries Commission (FFC) was established in 1952 under parallel primary legislation enacted by the Oireachtas and the Northern Ireland Parliament. The FFC's existing functions are the conservation, protection and improvement of the salmon and inland fisheries of the Foyle area generally. A map of that area is provided herewith.

The FFC consists of four members, two each appointed by the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland and the Minister for the Marine. The chairmanship rotates on an annual basis between the senior commissioners from each side. The current members are Mr. Niall McCutcheon and Mr. Brendan Hogan of the Department of the Marine and Mr. Jack Allister and Mr. David Houston of the Department of Agriculture, Northern Ireland.

While reasonably effective in securing its primary objective of achieving adequate breeding stocks of salmon throughout the Foyle system, the FFC, largely because of legislative constraints, has been unable to develop the fishery resources of the Foyle Area to their full potential. This arises because the FFC does not have a development function under its present statutes. Because it lacks the powers to licence and control aquaculture development, considerable development potential for shellfish farming in Lough Foyle continues to go untapped and private enterprise promoters are unable to avail of national and EU grants to exploit a proven resource there.

Against this background the two sponsoring Departments commissioned, in 1993, a review of the FFC's operations, funding, structure and staffing. The main recommendation resulting from this review, which was undertaken by KPMG Managing Consultants, were that the FFC's remit with respect to salmon and inland fisheries should be expanded to enable it to undertake development work both in relation to the fishery resource and by promoting, developing and improving facilities for angling and that the role of the FFC should be extended to include regulation and licensing of shellfish farming and marine aquaculture and the regulation of sea fishing within the Foyle area. The report recommended that the devolution of powers in relation to sea fishing might relate to Lough Foyle initially but that provision should be made to allow an extension of these powers to the parts of the Foyle area seaward of Lough Foyle at some future time, if such an extension of powers was considered necessary.

These, and other, recommendations of the Review were accepted by both Governments and legislation is now under preparation in both jurisdictions to implement them. It is hoped to have this legislation in place next year. In the meantime, the FFC has issued a consultation document and invited views from interested parties, both North and South, on how it might carry out these new roles.