Vol. 482 No. 3
82 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the fact that mussel longlines have been sited on the north shore of Dunmanus Bay, east of Dosneen pier, County Cork; whether this has been done with the approval and authority of his Department; the steps, if any, he is taking to deal with the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18050/97]
Mussel farming operations require to be licensed under the Fisheries and the Foreshore Acts.
Reports have been received by my Department that unlicensed mussel longlines have been placed at Dooneen, Dunmanus, County Cork.
On confirmation by the local sea fishery officer of the reports, the Department instructed the company concerned to remove the longlines and the situation is being monitored by Department staff on the ground. The company has been advised that failure to comply with the instruction to remove the unlicensed longlines will lead to legal proceedings under the Fisheries and Foreshore Acts.
The Department has received 14 aquaculture licence applications for the Dunmanus Bay area and five of these have been the subject of public notice in the local press. Processing of these applications will take place under the provisions of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1997, which will be commenced shortly.
The strengthened powers in the Fisheries (Amendment), Act, 1997 provide an improved legal framework for dealing with unauthorised aquaculture developments and breaches of licence conditions by licensed operators.
