We now come to amendment No. 51. Amendments Nos. 52 and 53 are cognate and may be taken together by agreement. Is that agreed? Agreed.
SECTION 21.
I move amendment No. 51:
In page 18, line 43, to delete", trout or eels" and substitute "or trout".
What is the effect of this amendment?
It relates to the unseasonality of eels.
There is an old saying, "as slippery as an eel".
Our original debate on these sections related to eel fishing, sale, etc.
A section of the Fisheries Consolidation Act, 1959 refers to unseasonable salmon or trout which means any salmon or trout which is about to spawn, has spawned and has not recovered from spawning. That is the reason we tabled the amendment.
The purpose of this Bill is to tighten up regulations in regard to fishing and their sale and distribution.
Not only that, there has also been illegal trade in eels. People have been threatened, eels have been illegally exported, etc.
Section 21 (i) (a) states: "If any person purchases, sells, exposes for sale or keeps for sale or has in his possession or control any unseasonable salmon, trout or eels. . . .". The words "or eels" have been deleted from the Bill, but presumably there are many other such references remaining?
Eels are a migratory species that spawn in the Sargasso Sea before migrating to fresh water rivers. Unlike salmon and trout they cannot be unseasonable in Irish waters.
Amendment agreed to.
I move amendment No. 52:
In page 18, line 49, to delete ", trout or eels" and substitute "or trout".
Amendment agreed to.
I move amendment No. 53:
In page 19, line 1, to delete ", trout or eels" and substitute "or trout".
Amendment agreed to.
I move amendment No. 54:
In page 19, line 5, to delete "or eel" and substitute ", eel or molluscan shellfish".
Amendment agreed to.
I move amendment No. 55:
In page 19, line 10, to delete "or eel" and substitute ", eel or molluscan shellfish".
Amendment agreed to.
I move amendment No. 56:
In page 19, line 16, to delete "or eel" and substitute ", eel or molluscan shellfish".
Amendment agreed to.
I move amendment No. 57:
In page 19, line 19, to delete "or eel" and substitute ", eel or molluscan shellfish".
Amendment agreed to.
I move amendment No. 58:
In page 19, lines 22 and 23, to delete "or eel" and substitute ", eel or molluscan shellfish".
Amendment agreed to.
I move amendment No. 59:
In page 19, line 29, to delete "or eel" and substitute ", eel or molluscan shellfish".
Amendment agreed to.
I move amendment No. 60:
In page 20, line 16, to delete "or eel" and substitute ", eel or molluscan shellfish".
Amendment agreed to.
I move amendment No. 61:
In page 20, line 17, to delete "or eel" and substitute ", eel or molluscan shellfish".
Amendment agreed to.
I move amendment No. 62:
In page 20, line 20, to delete "or eels" and substitute ", eels or molluscan shellfish".
Amendment agreed to.
I move amendment No. 63:
In page 20, to delete lines 21 and 22, and substitute the following: "under subsection (1) of section 159 and in force at the date".
Will the Minister explain this deletion which includes deleting the words, "as may be appropriate"?
This is a drafting amendment, nothing deeper.
Amendment agreed to.
I move amendment No. 64:
In page 20, line 40, to delete "or eel" and substitute ", eel or molluscan shellfish".
Amendment agreed to.
Section 21, as amended, agreed to.