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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 10 May 2000

Vol. 518 No. 6

Written Answers. - Salmon Conservation.

Michael Bell

Ceist:

80 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources when he will sanction the designation of the River Fane in County Louth as a salmonid river as requested by the Eastern Regional Fisheries Board in 1997; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the area committee of the Fane has 250 senior members and, in the interest of salmon conservation, this should be treated as an urgent issue; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that the salmon catch has doubled since 1997; the level of catch for each of the past five years; his views on whether the Fane is now one of the premier rivers for salmon caught on the east coast and its designation as a salmonid river should be prioritised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9519/00]

The designation of waters as salmonid or otherwise is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, under the EU Council directive on the quality of fresh water needing protection or improvement in order to support fish life, 78/659/EEC. Under the directive, higher water quality standards are set for salmonid waters than for other waters.

The Eastern Regional Fisheries Board requested the Department of the Environment and Local Government to designate the River Fane as a salmonid river in 1997 and I have therefore asked my Department to consult urgently with the Department of the Environment and Local Government with a view to progressing the fisheries board's request in light of our concerns about the declining state of salmon stocks in the River Fane and the timeframe and actions envisaged to achieve the necessary water quality standards under the directive. The Eastern Regional Fisheries Board has also informed me that the reported salmon catch in the River Fane dropped dramatically last year from 480 in 1998 to 60 in 1999. The reported catch in the River Fane over the last five years as supplied by the board is as follows:

Year

Reported catch

94

300

95

100

96

140

97

300

98

480

99

060

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