Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 October 2015
398. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the findings of a report on the effects of the seal population on fish stocks, which was commissioned by his Department, will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34529/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile my Department has not commissioned such a report as the Deputy describes, I understand that the Marine Institute, as part of the Beaufort Research Consortium which also includes University College Cork and Queen’s University Belfast, is involved in research on interactions between seal populations and sea-fisheries. The consortium project itself is a seven year, €3.9m research programme funded under the Irish Beaufort Marine Research Awards . The aim is to develop an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management for Irish Waters that is directly useful for fisheries management under Irish responsibility. Publication of its research is a matter for the consortium itself.
