WRITTEN QUESTION E-0476/01 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Freshwater fishing in Ireland: the systematic extermination of pike as a means of increasing trout stocks.
Date: 2001-02-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Ireland, conservation of fish stocks, fishery management, freshwater fish, freshwater fishing, quality of the environment

11.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 350 E/17

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(6 April 2001)

There has been no delay on the Commission(cid:146)s part with regard to the establishment of the European Food
Authority (EFA). On 12 January 2000, the Commission published its White Paper on food safety in which
it proposed the creation of EFA. The European Council gave its first input in June last year and the
Parliament (Bowis report) gave its opinion on 25 October 2000. Two weeks later, on 8 November 2000,
the Commission presented its formal legislative proposal to the Council and the Parliament. Following the
Nice European Council conclusions, the Commission is making the maximum effort for the EFA to be
operational at the beginning of 2002.

Independent of the establishment of the EFA, the Commission ensures that a high level of consumer health
protection is enshrined in its proposed legislation. A detailed legislative programme was set out in the
White Paper on food safety. The measures are based on the opinion of the Scientific Steering Committee
and of the eight sectorial Committees, and are of course updated to take account of evolving scientific
evidence. The Commission is putting particular emphasis on the need to ensure that the measures are
properly implemented in all Member States. To this end, as regards the bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE) issue, the inspections carried out by the Food and Veterinary Office have recently been stepped up
and particular attention will be given to a correct implementation of the feed ban and the recently adopted
measures on the removal of specified risk materials and on testing.

to the Community budget.

importance to the fight against fraud and any other illegal activity
The Commission attaches great
prejudicial
the
Commission established the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) by its EC, ECSC Decision 1999/352 of
28 April 1999 (1). Reporting of fraud cases is carried out annually by OLAF, and is available for public
consultation at
address: http://europa.eu.int/comm/anti_fraud/documents/rap-
port_en.pdf.

In order to strengthen its means of

thefollowing web-site

fraud prevention,

With a view to ensuring consumer safety, and in the interest of increasing the knowledge and awareness of
the public in this area, the Commission has been financing for three years the food safety campaign, which
is dedicated to consumers(cid:146) information and above all education on food safety.

In cases where a Member State fails to comply with a requirement of Community legislation and is not
prepared to take early action to remedy the situation, the Commission can open infringement proceedings
under Article 226 (ex-Article 169) of the EC Treaty. It has in the past opened such proceedings in many
cases of failure to respect rules for the protection of public and animal health and will continue to do so.

(1) OJ L 136, 31.5.1999.

(2001/C 350 E/018)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0476/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(21 February 2001)

Subject: Freshwater fishing in Ireland: the systematic extermination of pike as a means of increasing trout

stocks

Can the Commission confirm that pike culling (cid:129) i.e. a campaign to ensure the wholesale removal of
1.
pike (Esox lucius) from lakes and rivers (cid:129) takes place in the Western Lakes Region in Ireland with a view
to maintaining and increasing trout stocks in the hope that the number of brown trout (Salmo trutta) will
thereby increase?

2.
Can the Commission confirm that one of the conditions laid down for the granting of financial aid to
fisheries projects by the EU is that a fish-stock survey must be carried out but that, according to the
scientists involved, the fish stocks recorded by the WRFB in the spring of 1996 with the aid of gillnets did
not come up with enough pike to support the theory that there were too many pike in Lough Mask, after
which pike were caught in their spawning grounds and added to the number recorded for the lake?

C 350 E/18

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.12.2001

Can the Commission also confirm that one of the conditions laid down for the granting of financial
3.
aid to fisheries projects by the EU is that an investigation must be carried out into water quality and that
the survey published in January 1997 by the Corrib Angling Federation (entitled: (cid:145)Lough Corrib (cid:129) a cause
for concern(cid:146)) led to the conclusion that the arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), which is not a prey for pike,
was disappearing from the lake and that the water quality was such as to make the permanent survival of
salmon and trout virtually impossible, thereby providing absolute justification for measures designed to
bring about a sharp improvement in water quality?

Is the Commission aware that, according to the survey concerning Lake Corrib referred to in point 3
4.
above, in the spring of 1997 the WRFB simply went ahead with the wholesale removal of pike without
complying with the condition laid down for the granting of a subsidy that fish caught in nets should be
released into other lakes and that complaints about its action subsequently resulted in the programme
being suspended in September 1997?

5.
Has the Commission now realised that further pike culling takes place every year in a brief period
lasting no more than three months in spring so that the culling is over before the Commission receives
complaints on the basis of which the setting up of an inquiry might be justified?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(8 June 2001)

1.
Scientific evidence has required that in order to protect and maximise the unique wild brown trout
limestone fisheries of the west of Ireland, the introduced species of pike, perch and roach should be
It is ecologically imperative to provide a balance between competing stocks. This
actively managed.
management method has been extremely successful at maximising the wild brown trout numbers and this
is supported by 30 years of scientific evidence.

2.
According to the information received from the Western Regional Fisheries Board (WRFB), Lough
Mask was surveyed during the spawning season of 1996, a sample of pike was obtained from both lake
and spawning grounds, on the basis of which scientific criteria were identified for the proper management
of these lakes.

3.
As per the information provided by the WRFB, the report (cid:145)Lough Corrib a cause for concern(cid:146) was not
a peer reviewed publication and occurred some 16 years after the last record of char in Lough Corrib.
A comprehensive programme of water quality monitoring was undertaken and is ongoing; this programme
is fully co-ordinated with the environment protection agency and the local authorities. The water quality of
the great western lakes is still excellent for wild salmon and brown trout survival and individual problems
within the catchment have been identified and remedial measures are being actively pursued.

4.
As indicated by the WRFB, the scientific rationale for the stock management programme on large
limestone lakes in Ireland has been developed and refined over 30 years. It is based on sound science that
has been peer reviewed and pike caught were and still are being transferred to other waters and some large
pike have been tagged and released.

5.
According to the information received from the WRFB, stock management is a seasonal feature of
Irish wild brown trout limestone fisheries and in order to protect the native wild brown trout from the
introduced species of pike, perch and roach these species are selectively managed. Such operations are
common practice throughout Western Europe and North America. No effort is made to hide this necessary
management operation. The management
is done primarily from January till March each year for
operational and logistical reasons.