Inland Fisheries

Wednesday, 19 June 2024

Questions (10)

Mairéad Farrell

Question:

10. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department’s officials in the inland fisheries division will continue to legislatively conserve invasive dace and invasive roach in the River Allow in County Cork (part of the Blackwater River SAC) under the Conservation and Prohibition on Sale of Coarse Fish Bye-Law (No. 806) 2006, to the detriment of native salmonids, which will severely impact any future rehabilitation of this SAC river, following the press release by Inland Fisheries Ireland on 10 June 2024 confirming a large fish kill of at least 5,000 mortalities in the River Allow, in which many native salmonids (trout and salmon) were killed plus invasive coarse fish such as dace and roach; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26391/24]

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Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (Deputy Eamon Ryan)

In relation to the Conservation of Coarse Fish Bye-Law No. 806 of 2006, I wish to advise the Deputy that IFI in conjunction with my Department is carrying out a review of relevant inland fisheries bye-laws in force for 10 years or more and their continued application and Bye-Law No. 806 of 2006 and indeed the Conservation of Pike Bye-Law No. 809 of 2006 are being examined and reviewed as part of this exercise.

Fisheries protection operations on specific water catchments are a matter for Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) and neither I nor my Department have any function. IFI has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that queries in relation to operational matters can be addressed promptly, in line with IFI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is oireachtas@fisheriesireland.ie