Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 July 2020
341. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will address a matter regarding a seal cull (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14780/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe two species of seal in Irish waters - the Harbour or Common Seal and the more numerous Grey Seal - are both protected under the EU Habitats Directive and Ireland is obliged to maintain their numbers at a favourable conservation level. We are also required to monitor their populations and report to the European Commission on their conservation status. A standardised monitoring programme has been in place for both species since 2009.
Representatives of the National Parks and Wildlife Service have met with fishermen in Kerry on a number of occasions, most recently on 8 January 2020 in Killarney. Discussions have covered a broad range of issues including current inshore fishing practices and trends, seal predation on fish, seal behaviour and numbers, as well as the by-catch of seals in fishing gear and the management of seal-fishery interactions.
NPWS continues to investigate solutions for deterring seal interactions with static fishing gears and to continue their collaboration with the Marine Institute and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to investigate such problems and their solutions in partnership with the fishing industry.
As part of the overall response to the COVID-19 crisis, staff in my Department are, for the most part, currently working remotely. However, steps were taken early in the crisis to ensure staff remained contactable and they can be contacted by email throughout this period.
Finally, while seals are a protected species, my Department may issue licences to cull individual problem seals, and affected persons can apply for such licences. My Department has no plans to undertake a general cull of seals.
