asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry if he will restock the Clady River in County Donegal with salmon fry.
Written Answers. - Restocking of Rivers.
204.
The fisheries on the Clady River are owned by the Electricity Supply Board who are considering the question of restocking the river.
205.
asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry if he will restock the Erne River with else; if he is aware that some years ago this river was a source of much business; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I am aware of the value of the eel fisheries of the Erne catchment. Following the construction of the hydroelectric dam at Ballyshannon in 1950 provision was made for the installation of elver passes so as to safeguard these eel fisheries. The elver passes did not operate very successfully and since 1959 arrangements have been made for the transplanting of elvers from below the dam to other waters within the catchment. These transplantings have been of benefit mostly to Northern Ireland fishermen operating on Upper and Lower Lough Erne but a proportion of the elvers migrate to the smaller lakes in the upper reaches of the system within the Republic. The latter waters have now been identified as being highly suitable for eel production and have been selected for restocking as soon as possible.