This Bill has been significantly improved by these amendments and I congratulate the Minister and his colleagues for that. Perhaps it might have been delayed longer in this House than it was, but it has been improved in the other House. I have a few minor quibbles about things which should be included in the Bill. However, I am happy with the Minister's assurance that fresh water will be protected and that fish farming will not be allowed in our premier salmon waters in the west.
I welcome the provision in the licensing procedures in section 7 for the reporting of the incidence of disease and the presence of parasites, but this matter has been allowed to drift. There has been a lack of scientific clarity about whether there is a specific connection between fin-fish farming at sea and the demise of the sea-trout. I have a vested interest in this matter because I have fished for sea-trout from Waterville, County Kerry, to Doolough, County Mayo. I know most of the sea-trout fisheries in between and what has happened to them is nothing short of a national disaster. There are measures in the Bill to provide for environmental interests to be represented on the board and the protection of the environment is also a matter of consideration under section 7. I welcome those provisions, but it should be clearly stated whether there is an empirical link between fin-fish farming and what has been allowed happen to the sea-trout, which is nothing short of an environmental crime — I use those words advisedly.
There has been some recovery. Last year I caught sea-trout in Costelloe, County Galway, and they were fresh and in good condition. Fallowing has a place in all of this. It has been reported to me that there are problems in County Galway but I do not have first hand knowledge of that.
My primary purpose in appealing to the Minister is that this has gone on for far too long. The sea-trout population must be encouraged and helped to recover because these fisheries are of international importance. When I began fishing in the west 25 years ago people travelled from all over the world. They flew into Shannon Airport and hired a car for a month and a ghillie for every day of that month and spent significant sums of money. Those people will go to the Falkland Islands, Russia, Canada or wherever the sport is. If we provide the sport, they will come here. Everything must be done to restore that position.
I would have preferred if the licences were for a shorter period than 20 years and I know that matter was debated in the Dáil. However, I accept that the Bill has been improved significantly and is much better than when it left this House. It includes protections which I regard as extremely important. The environmental aspect has been improved and the Bill will have the effect of affording the type of protection which is essential. I accept fully the economic importance of fin-fish farming but tourism, which is derived from trout and sea-trout fisheries, is important also, particularly in the west in areas where there are few alternatives. We could get into a broader argument about the need to protect our waters and the environmental degradation which has taken place, but that is for another day.
I welcome the changes to the Bill and it is not my intention to delay it further.