I thank the committee for the opportunity to outline some of the significant activities of IFI last year and in recent years. I will touch on some of the key areas that may be of interest to the committee in 2018. In 2018, IFI engaged in more than 170,000 patrol hours. These were divided over 30,499 individual controls protecting the inland fisheries resource. In 2018, we seized 808 items, including fishing rods, fish, nets and various types of illegal fishing engines. An average of 14.4 km of illegal nets were seized in recent years. In 2018, we seized 11.5 km of illegal nets.
While this represents a reduction on previous years and is likely related to the reduction in the abundance of our salmon stocks, it is nonetheless a considerable volume of illegal net and is capable of doing significant damage to our fish stocks. IFI initiated over 83 prosecutions for fisheries and environmental offences in 2018, and 82 such prosecutions in 2017.
A significant amount of the work of IFI involves regulatory compliance. In this regard, we interacted with 33,000 angler inspections last year. The anglers in question were checked for compliance with licences, permits and bylaws. An average of 645 checks were carried out on fish dealers. Almost 24,000 environmental inspections were carried out on industrial, agricultural and wastewater treatment plants and civil engineering works. Forty-four fish kills were reported last year. Given the extreme climatic conditions experienced during the summer drought period, the number of fish kills was relatively low. This is a credit to our staff, working in tandem with other relevant agencies, and to the responsible actions of the farming community and others involved in water infrastructure.
IFI has invested more than €3 million in renewing its RIB fleet. Twelve specialised RIBs are being delivered to IFI on a staged basis. At this point, we have received eight of those boats. They are built to the highest standards of safety. Each boat carries an inflatable life raft and has a P6 license attached to it. On foot of this investment, IFI will be able to operate single RIB patrols, as opposed to the twin RIB patrols we have had to operate up to now. This represents a significant operational efficiency for the organisation. It also represents a carbon reduction.
The national strategy for angling development, NSAD, was launched in February 2016 following an extensive research and public consultation process. It is the first comprehensive national framework for the development of Ireland's angling resource.
In 2017, IFI developed an online grant application portal to improve systems and processes used in managing funding schemes and ensure public funds are managed in line with governance requirements. We also introduced an environmental assessment process to ensure environmental governance is achieved. During 2017, IFI helped angling clubs to deliver on the 50 locally-led projects that had been awarded under the 2016 capital grants scheme. In late 2017, we launched a number of additional funding schemes for implementation in 2018 and thereafter. Some €2.9 million was awarded to 174 projects across the country between 2016 to 2018. Approximately 60% of all schemes have been delivered at this point.
Angling access has been improved at 78 locations, with an additional 22 locations due for completion in 2019. Thirty-five habitat enhancement projects, which we expect to complete over this year and next year, were included in the 2017 and 2018 schemes.
In recognition of the difficulties faced by voluntary stakeholders in achieving governance standards, IFI has established a programme management office and appointed an overall programme director and five animators. Their role is to work directly with stakeholders to improve project development and delivery. The benefits of this approach were felt during 2018.
IFI's research division conducts a wide range of applied research programmes to facilitate the provision of data and knowledge concerning the habitats and species under its protection. This is used to support a range of Departments, including our parent Department, in policy development, in support of decision-making and in informing stakeholders and other agencies. The focus on applied research resulted in the publication of 27 international peer-reviewed publications in 2017.
IFI's national research programmes are reinforced by co-operation and partnerships with national and international research and funding organisations. We have had a degree of success in this regard. I refer, for example, to the COMPASS project, where we have achieved €500,000 in INTERREG funding, and to the Catchment CARE project, where we have achieved €2.37 million in INTERREG funding. These achievements were particular highlights in 2018.
IFI remains seriously concerned about salmon abundance levels. If one looks at the pre-fishery abundance levels - the estimated number of fish returning to the coast of Ireland before any exploitation takes place - one will see it is currently estimated that between 240,000 and 300,000 wild salmon are returning to the Irish coast, as against highs of almost 2 million fish in the 1970s. If action had not been taken by the Government in 2006, it is likely that the decline may well have been more pronounced. Concern about salmon abundance nationally and internationally led to 2019 being declared the International Year of the Salmon. This is a joint worldwide initiative of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization and the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission. It seeks to raise awareness of what humans can do to ensure salmon and their habitats are conserved.
Inland Fisheries Ireland will take a full and active part in the international year of the salmon to raise awareness of the state of Irish salmon stocks.
IFI successfully implemented two major transformational projects in the business in 2018. It transformed its fleet management and utilisation. All existing systems and processes were overhauled and electronic logbooks, standardised maintenance programmes for all vehicles, additional training for all staff and a vehicle telemetry system were implemented. This has resulted in significant savings on fuel, amounting to more than 30,000 l in 2018, and increases in organisational efficiency. On foot of these changes, IFI was awarded the Fleet Transport Association's VanSafe accreditation and our logistics manager was awarded a Road Safety Authority Leading Light award. In early 2019, IFI will complete this programme by replenishing the fleet with fewer, smaller and more fit-for-purpose vehicles, including a number of electric vehicles. In addition to further fuel savings, this element of the programme will generate a significant CO2 reduction and put IFI well on track for achieving its current carbon reduction targets.
IFI also implemented an organisation-wide time management system in which all staff are now recording daily time, absences and leave in a consistent manner via an online system. This system has improved IFI’s operational efficiency and allowed the development of appropriate management reports which will ensure that the organisation can easily demonstrate compliance with relevant legislation. It is planned to extend this system in 2019 and incorporate additional functionality, such as online subsistence and metric collation modules.
I will highlight an issue that could have positive impacts on IFI if resolved. The principal Act governing the sector is the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959. This Act, a consolidation of fisheries legislation from around the late 19th century to 1959, is 60 years old. While it has served inland fisheries well over the years, it is no longer fit for purpose and is holding back the modernisation of the service. My parent Department has done significant work on preparing a new fisheries Bill. While recognising that legislation falls entirely within the remit of the Oireachtas, I stress that from an agency perspective, the sooner we have more modern fisheries legislation the better.
I thank members for their attention and again stress that this is only a snapshot of some of the work completed by IFI. I would be happy to take any questions committee members may have.
