Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 12 Nov 1997

Vol. 482 No. 6

Written Answers. - ESB Fisheries.

Gerry Reynolds

Question:

74 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if the ESB has given elvers or eels from its fishery to private concerns in each of the years from 1992 to date in 1997 in the interest of conservation. [18509/97]

Gerry Reynolds

Question:

75 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the amount of materials or equipment seized or confiscated by ESB protection staff in each of the years from 1993 to date in 1997; and if he will give details of the procedure used to dispose of this confiscated material or equipment in each of these years. [18513/97]

Gerry Reynolds

Question:

76 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the tonnage of brown and silver eels processed in the State in each of the years from 1993 to date in 1997. [18514/97]

Gerry Reynolds

Question:

77 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the amount in both tonnage and monetary terms of eels exported from the State for each of the years from 1993 to date in 1997. [18515/97]

Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources (Dr. Woods)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 74, 75, 76 and 77 together.

I am advised by the ESB that a total of 32 kilos of glass eels were given in the period in question to a private concern for preliminary onrearing. The ESB also confirm that an equivalent amount was returned to the same catchment when the onrearing was completed.

The ESB advises that reliable quantified data on the amount of seized material or equipment is not readily available. However, I am advised that seized goods to be used in support of a prosecution are labelled and stored either on ESB premises or transported to Fisheries Board premises. Disposal is carried out on foot of a warrant from the courts and may involve destruction or return.

Based on data supplied by the Central Statistics Office details of the volume and export market value in the years 1993-97 are as follows:

Exports — Eels, 1993-97

Survey Date	Tonnes	Value
		IR£
1993	43.5	43,979
1994	81.1	104,616
1995	61.7	79,061
1996	47.6	59,469
1997 (6 months)	20.6	18,690

To date only very small amounts of eels are processed for the home market and there are no statistics on actual amounts and value. The scope for developing commercial scale eel processing facilities is being assessed as part of an overall assessment of the development potential of the domestic eel resource.