Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 11 Oct 2001

Vol. 542 No. 1

Written Answers. - Fisheries Protection.

Michael Bell

Question:

51 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the measures he has taken or proposes to take to control sea lice by chemical treatment; his views on whether serious damage by sea lice from fish farms has occurred on the west coast; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that in some European Union countries fish farms have had to be relocated so that sea trout and salmon will not be harmed; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that research in Norway has shown that 90% of outgoing wild salmon smolt runs carry lethal lice levels; if he will give the most recent result of research in Irish coastal waters and rivers regarding this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21454/01]

Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources (Mr. Fahey)

The national sea lice monitoring and control programme has been in place for Irish salmon farms since 1991. The programme is overseen by the Marine Institute which carries out regular inspection and sampling at all marine finfish sites throughout the year. The sea lice monitoring programme is kept under regular review and has been further underpinned, in light of advances in lice control and treatment strategies, by the introduction of formal sealice protocol for finfish farmers in 2000.

Sea lice levels are set with the objective of maintaining levels as close to zero as practicable. The levels determine or trigger the use of approved targeted treatment regimes. Irish lice control parameters are the most stringent of all salmon producing countries.

My policy objective is to secure the future of sea trout stocks through forward looking sea trout rehabilitation management, conservation and research strategies. As part of this policy objective, some months ago I established a group to review the current status of sea trout stocks throughout the mid-western sea trout fisheries area, including examining the operation and management of fish counters and traps on key sea trout catchments with a view to improving data collection generally of stocks levels, The recommendations of the group will help inform policy on sea trout rehabilitation and the improvement of communications between the various stakeholders.

With regard to the relocation of fish farms in other EU member states, I have been informed that to date in Scotland, the only other salmon producing region of the EU, no salmon farms have been relocated or requested to relocate in order to protect wild fish stocks.

It is acknowledged that there are high lice levels on wild salmon in Norwegian fjords. Norway's lice monitoring programme is considerably less stringent than the Irish programme. The geographical location of Norwegian salmon farms in long narrow fjords may well be a contributory factor also. I am advised that, to date, Irish monitoring programmes have shown no evidence of high lice levels on Irish wild salmon populations.