Central Fisheries Board
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Fisheries Protection and Conservation
Director: Kieran Murphy
The Fisheries Boards are charged with ensuring the observance of the Fishery Acts, Bye-Laws and Orders. Their purpose is to ensure the protection and conservation of our fishery resource. The Boards' responsibilities cover both inland waterways and out to the twelve mile limit off the coast.
The species protected include salmon, sea trout, sea bass, molluscs, eels and all freshwater fish. The Boards' strategies and operations are both preventative and reactive in nature and include the following:
- The creation of a deterrent by ensuring the maximum visible presence in waters where the threat of illegal activity is greatest;
- Prosecution of offenders and confiscation of illegal nets, equipment, tackle and catch.
The Unit coordinates the provision of comprehensive training to fishery officers in the areas of sea survival, seamanship, basic navigation and damage control/fire fighting.
In 1996 the CFB established a protection coordination unit to coordinate the fishery protection and surveillance activities of the Regional Fishery Boards, Naval Service and Aer Corps. The Unit also recieves the cooperation of the Garda Síochána in surveillance and other operations. A national patrol plan was devised to optimise the utilisation of the Fishery Boards' sea protection resources.
Specific areas of operation of the Protection and Conservation section include:
