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PRESS
STATEMENTS 2005
Fisheries
Boards Reject Consultants Proposals
Press
Release dated 17th October , 2005
A meeting of representatives of Regional
Fisheries Boards, held in Waterford, on Friday last, expressed
serious concern at reported proposals for the abolition of the
Boards which are responsible for the protection, development and
management of inland fisheries.
The representatives said that proposals to disperse
Board functions among different agencies would undermine the
holistic approach which is now widely recognised as being essential
for the successful conservation and management of the inland
fisheries resource. There was particular concern that the proposed
arrangements, if allowed go ahead, will result in a situation where
water quality, as well as fish and fish habitat, will not be
properly protected.
The Board members were strongly of the view that
fisheries management decisions should be made as closely as possible
to the communities affected by those decisions and this will not be
the case if the Regional Boards are abolished.
The group called on the Minister for the Marine to
reject the restructuring proposals which have been recommended by
consultants.
END
Pat the Cope Announces Major New Reform Of
the Inland Fisheries Sector
Marine Minister, Pat the Cope Gallagher T.D., today (November
15th, 2005) published details of the
Government’s new policy for the restructuring of the inland
fisheries sector. This policy arises from a review of the inland
fisheries sector, commissioned in 2003.
The main components of the reform announced today are:
-
The establishment of a
regulatory regime to oversee mechanisms governing the transfer,
use of and access to fisheries, licensing (including
distribution, of rights to fishery activities in the commercial
and recreational areas) and the determination of fishing effort
and Total Allowable Catches etc. in relation to fish stocks.
-
Regional management
structures, representative of all users/beneficiaries/
stakeholders, will be created to manage access, development and
maintenance of fisheries.
“These reforms are necessary to ensure our inland fisheries sector
thrives and reaches its full potential. Everyone in the sector
agrees that change is necessary if this is to happen. This reform
will allow the Government to harness the expertise of local
stakeholders involved in fisheries whilst at the same time
providing a coherent and effective strategy for the sector to
develop,” said Minister Gallagher.
The reform will be carried out in two phases.
The first phase, to commence immediately, will involve the
streamlining of the sector. The second phase will determine the
exact structures of new model that will oversee the Inland
Fisheries Sector. This phase will first involve an extensive
consultation period and will be an open and inclusive process
designed to achieve buy-in from all the stakeholders.
As the first step in the reform process, the
Government has authorised the drafting of a Bill to establish a
National Inland Fisheries Authority (NIFA), which will
subsume the executive functions of the Central and Regional
Fisheries Boards. This new NIFA will play a key role in the
transformation of the sector.
The current Central and Regional Boards will be transformed into
Regional Advisory Boards. These statutory bodies will focus on
regional issues and will be widely consulted on the detailed
implementation of the second phase in the restructuring process.
Responsibility and resources for scientific
research will to be transferred from the Central Board to the
Marine Institute. The Institute and the newly formed National
Inland Fisheries Authority will work closely together in this area
especially in relation to Salmon.
Discussions will also take place on the
co-ordination of the role of the inland fisheries sector with the
strategy and policy of the Departments for Environment, Heritage
and Local Government, Arts, Sport and Tourism and Community, Rural
and Gaeltacht Affairs.
During the consultation process a
decision-making and accountability framework (including
performance contracts) will be developed to support the alignment
of policies and strategies. Staff of the Regional and Central
Boards carrying out these functions will continue to work in their
current locations and will become NIFA employees when the new
legislation is put in place.
During this phase, consideration will be given
to the establishment of an independent regulatory body with the
primary role for the regulation of matters relating to fisheries
ownership and access, and the quota and licensing regimes for
commercial and recreational users. In this phase the process of
empowering local users and beneficiaries to take effective
ownership of the resource will be examined in detail.
“Ireland’s inland
fisheries are an important national resource and this reform
demonstrates the Government’s commitment to ensuring Ireland’s
waterways thrive. The reform process will be open, inclusive and
comprehensive and I would like to re-iterate that at every step we
will ensure that those who will be affected by these changes will
be consulted and will have an opportunity to influence the
proposed changes,” concluded Minister Gallagher.
ENDS
REVIEW OF INLAND FISHERIES SECTOR IN IRELAND -
STAGE 1 FINAL REPORT
REVIEW OF THE INLAND FISHERIES SECTOR IN IRELAND - FAQ'S
For further info contact
Ken Cleary
Press Officer
Tel: 353-1-678 2441 Fax: 353-1-678 2739 Email:
kenneth.cleary@dcmnr.gov.ie
Website:
http://www.dcmnr.gov.ie
The Central
Fisheries Board Welcomes New Tuna Regulations
Press
Release 17th August , 2005
The Minister of State at the Department of
Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Mr. Pat the Cope
Gallagher, TD, announced a new regulation regarding Tuna fishing
which may result in a further boost for Ireland’s Sea Angling
business.
‘I am delighted to have been able to open
up these new species to Sea Anglers. Sea Angling is extremely
socially valuable as both a widely available and healthy form of
recreation. Perhaps most importantly Sea Angling is a sustainable
activity and I hope this new regulation will enable many more people
to experience the quiet enjoyment Sea Angling can provide’,
said Minister for the Marine, Mr. Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher, TD.
The result of this regulation (S.I. 353 of
2005 – Sea Fisheries (Tuna and Certain Other Species Fishing)
Regulations 2005 – PRN A5/1102) is to allow for the fishing
for tuna and certain other species by means of fishing gears other
than the type of gill net, driftnets, bottom set gill nets, trammel
nets and entangling nets. This regulation is in operation since the
8 July 2005 and offers Irish and International anglers the
opportunity to fish for bluefin tuna on rod and line from various
sea angling centres nationwide.
Sea Angling continues to attract huge numbers of
anglers from a variety of countries, most notably, the Netherlands
and the UK. Ireland offers the best sea angling and sea angling
facilities in Europe and this new regulation should further enhance
the sea angling product and entice greater numbers of visitors to
Ireland.
The sea angling season to date has seen an
improvement on last year with big catches of tope and codling
reported. Good calm weather conditions have shown an improvement in
blue shark catches on last year but the overall numbers are still
relatively low compared to the catches enjoyed in the late 1990’s.
The Central Fisheries Board’s Sea Angling Unit,
co-ordinates the successful Marine Sportfish Tagging Programme. This
initiative encourages charter skippers and anglers to tag and
release the fish they catch in order to provide the CFB with data on
the migrations of the fish and to conserve stocks. Over 70 charter
skippers and a few dedicated anglers took part in the 2004 Marine
Sport fish Tagging Programme. Over 1,000 fish were tagged and since
1970, a total of 36,587 have been tagged and released including
17,419 blue shark. This programme is now the largest of its kind in
Europe and the second largest in the world after the U.S.A.
…..Ends….
If you are interested in Sea Angling
in Ireland, a full list of charter skippers are available on the
Central Fisheries Board website:
http://www.cfb.ie/
Shannon
Catchment - Fisheries Awareness Week
4th - 12th
June, 2005
Press
Release dated 31st May 2005
Something Fishy’s Going on in the Shannon Catchment………
The
Shannon Catchment has a rich fisheries heritage. For centuries its
Fisheries resource has been utilised to benefit local communities
from the early monasteries to the present time recreational
amenities uses.
To
celebrate this great natural resource, the Shannon Regional
Fisheries Board and its partners this week hosts the Shannon
Catchment Fisheries Awareness Week 2005, a week packed full of
information and fun activities for all.
The
aim of the week is to give a greater public understanding of the
conservation needs of fish and their habitats, to promote the
benefits of angling for children and adults alike and to demonstrate
the many angling opportunities available in the Shannon Catchment.
Michael Callaghan, Chairman of the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board
in outlining the Board’s ambitions for Fisheries Awareness Week, the
first of its type in the Shannon Catchment and indeed the first of
its type in Ireland, stated that
“the continuous welcomed economic development on the Shannon
Catchment creates potential threats to our Fisheries environment.
Through the Fisheries Awareness Week, we hope to give people a
greater understanding of the requirement of the Fisheries resource.
We can have economic development and safeguard our Fisheries
environment.”
Angling continues to hold a strong position in the sporting
activities of the Shannon Catchment. In a study recently published
by the Marine Institute, those participating in angling nationally
has increased to over 218,000 people generating significant income
from domestic tourism and supporting an estimated 733 jobs.
The
Shannon Catchment with its hundreds of lakes, rivers and streams and
its extensive estuary hold Ireland’s greatest angling opportunities.
While
angling numbers have increased, reducing youth participation is of
concern, as they turn away from active outdoor passtimes to more
sedentary activities such as electronic games. Participation in
non-active passtimes can affect the health of our children. Outdoor
activities including angling is one area which can assist our
children to become more active. It can also assist in developing
closer family ties while giving a positive experience of outdoor
living.
During
Fisheries Awareness Week, the Board will host many activities which
are designed to encourage participation by younger people in
angling.
“Angling
differs from many other forms of recreational activity, because it
not alone gives children a lasting way to connect with nature but it
improves family communications in a way that few activities can”
states Mr. Michael Callaghan. ?
During
the awareness week, a variety of events will be held in over 30
locations throughout the Shannon Catchment ( see attached ). Events
such as angling demonstrations, casting clinics, game angling,
coarse angling, sea angling competitions, aquatic resource
interpretation talks, fishy art competitions and much more are
guaranteed to make this a fun filled learning experience for
children and adults alike.
Eamon
Cusack, CEO, Shannon Regional Fisheries Board states that “all
are welcome to experience and learn about the Fisheries resource at
the many events throughout the Region and whether you can attend at
the organised events or not, I encourage you to experience and
explore the wonders of the Fisheries resource with friends and
family.”
To
assist people and help them get the most out of their trip to the
waters, the Board has placed information on its website which is
very helpful.
So
whether you have an exciting day’s fishing or just a walk along one
of the thousands of streams and lakes, we hope that everybody will
participate, and take the opportunity to learn about and enjoy this
great national resource.
“Parents,
grandparents pack up a picnic and the Kids and explore the Fisheries
resource near you” says Eamon Cusack
Details of all events are available on our Web site
www.shannon-fishery-board.ie
or by calling 061 300 238.
-
E N D -
For
further information please contact Eamon Cusack, CEO, Shannon
Regional Fisheries Board on 061 300 238
Recovery of
Lough Sheelin in Jeopardy
Press
Release dated 29th April 2005
Contact: Eamon Cusack CEO Tel: 061 300238
The
Shannon Regional Fisheries Board today expressed their deep concern
at the recent fish kill on the Kildorough Stream in the Sheelin
Catchment, Co Cavan. Over 200 juvenile wild brown trout were killed.
Investigations are continuing by the Board, but as yet no source can
be identified.
The
streams in the catchment are the life blood of Lough Sheelin and the
killing of juvenile trout will impact greatly on the trout stocks of
the Lake. These incidents are particularly depressing when a recent
survey of trout populations in the Lake reported signs of recovery
in the trout stocks, the first in nearly 10 years.
The
Board calls upon everyone in the catchment to be vigilant and report
any such incident immediately. The Board would ask people in control
of polluting matter to check their facilities to ensure they are
maintained and working correctly.
The
Board will continue its investigations and will work with the Cavan
County Council and the EPA to eliminate pollution in the catchment
and detect the culprits.
- END -
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