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Fisheries Protection.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 May 2004

Wednesday, 12 May 2004

Questions (124, 125, 126, 127, 128)

John Perry

Question:

144 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, further to Question No. 454 of 27 April 2004, if he will quantify the materials removed from the River Shannon by ESB fisheries conservation staff for the years 1985, 1986 and 1987; and if the ESB may decline to answer or provide the required information in view of the fact that he has only a supervisory role; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13929/04]

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John Perry

Question:

145 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the number of disposal orders obtained through the courts by the ESB fisheries conservation division to dispose of confiscated materials in the years 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13930/04]

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John Perry

Question:

146 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, further to Parliamentary Question No. 454 of 27 April 2004, the reason the ESB informs me that all disposals of materials of intrinsic value removed from the river Shannon by ESB fisheries division are dealt with in conjunction with the Shannon Fisheries Board; if he will quantify the number of occasions that the ESB involved the Shannon Fisheries Board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13934/04]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 to 146, inclusive, together.

I am advised by the ESB that its fisheries conservation staff have not maintained any formal record of materials removed by them from the river Shannon as most of such removals are of general debris or small pieces of net used for illegal fishing and consequently of no value.

I am further advised by the ESB that no disposal orders were obtained directly by the board from the courts in the years referred to by the Deputy and that confiscated material is disposed of using the services of the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board. I am informed that all prosecutions taken on behalf of the ESB under the Fisheries Acts are also processed through the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board but that the ESB bears the costs of such prosecutions and disposals.

The Shannon Regional Fisheries Board has confirmed to my Department that it has over the years received seized nets for storage and disposal and that while the board has taken prosecutions for illegal fishing on behalf of the ESB in the past, no prosecutions have been taken in the last five years. It has not been possible in the time available for the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board to collate the specific information on disposals and prosecutions that the Deputy is seeking. I have, however, asked the CEO of the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board to liaise with the ESB in order to provide this information directly to the Deputy within the next two weeks.

John Perry

Question:

147 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will give a breakdown of the persons involved in the capture of elvers; if they were used for restocking the Shannon System; the locations or if they were sold outside the Shannon System. [13935/04]

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John Perry

Question:

148 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the controls that are in place to ensure that captured elvers are used for conservation purposes in view of the restriction placed on the ESB by the Oireachtas; his views on the situation; if he proposes to put in place more comprehensive restrictions to conserve our declining stocks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13936/04]

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I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 148 together.

I am advised by the ESB that all elvers and glass eels are stocked under the direct supervision of the ESB fisheries supervisor in Shannon and that the programme of elver capture in the Shannon region is undertaken jointly by the ESB and the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board using a combination of staff and contract workers. I am further advised by both boards that all elvers captured in this programme are restocked into the Shannon catchment to assist in rebuilding depleted stocks.

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