WRITTEN QUESTION E-0478/01 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Freshwater fishing in Ireland: restoration of a natural balance instead of a continuation of the extermination policy.
Date: 2001-02-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Ireland, fishery management, freshwater fish, freshwater fishing, lake, tourism policy

C 340 E/36

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.12.2001

As indicated by the Western Regional Fisheries Board (WRFB), there has been an enormous increase
7.
in the numbers of anglers fishing on Lough Corrib in particular and to a lesser extent on Lough Mask.
Lough Corrib is now regarded as the best destination in Europe for wild brown trout and currently it is
impossible to get a booking on the lake during the peak angling periods. Initial reports from the tourism
operators are that the year 2000 was unprecedented in its success and the lake fished extremely well
throughout the entire season. Indications during the year 2000 were that brown trout angling on Lough
Mask had also shown a significant improvement.

According to the information received from the North Western Regional Fisheries Board (NWRFB) in
relation to Lough Arrow, the project was carried out over the period 1998-2000 and would not be
expected to have resulted yet in any increase in the number of game anglers. The purpose of the project
was to provide a major boost to stocks of wild trout in Lough Arrow by improving spawning and nursery
streams. Such a project will not, by its very nature, yield results in terms of increased numbers of anglers
for a period of 3-4 years, after which time the works will result in an increased stock of adult trout in the
lake. It should be noted that a monitoring programme has been carried out on streams, following the
works. The results are extremely encouraging as they show a very significant increase in numbers of
juvenile trout. Dr Martin O(cid:146)Grady, Senior Research Officer, Central Fisheries Board, has stated that the
streams will, for the first time, be able to provide a sufficient number of wild fish to stock Lough Arrow
where, traditionally, stocks of wild fish had to be supplemented by hatchery reared fish. All the evidence,
therefore, is that the project has been extremely successful.

8.
All the funds were spent on the specific objectives of the plan as proposed and all were covered by
the eligible criteria as laid out under the tourism angling measure of the Irish operational programme for
tourism.

(2001/C 340 E/042)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0478/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(21 February 2001)

Subject: Freshwater fishing in Ireland: restoration of a natural balance instead of a continuation of the

extermination policy

1.
Does the Commission recall the letter dated 15 September 1997 (ref. SG(97)D/84642) from its then
President, Mr Jacques Santer, to Mrs Caroline Jackson, MEP, in which he pledged that, where necessary, the
element in the programme aimed at (cid:145)stock control(cid:146) (i.e. pike culling) would be reformed and that a new
project manager would be appointed for the Corrib System Development Programme? Have those
commitments been honoured yet? If not, why not?

Can the Commission confirm that a further culling of pike took place between the autumn of 1998

2.
and April 1999, and subsequently in the spring of 2000, when any pike discovered were killed?

3.
Can it also confirm that, each year, six of the seven Regional Fishery Boards in Ireland are still
carrying out a policy of pike culling during the pike spawning season and that such culling took place,
inter alia, in December 2000 in Lough Arrow, which comes under the responsibility of the North Western
Regional Fisheries Board (NWRFB)? Does such ongoing extermination of pike take place as part of
a programme that is financially supported in any way whatsoever by the European Union?

Does the Commission see any possibility of terminating this merry-go-round of implementation,
4.
suspension and renewal of extermination programmes, which has been going on for years now, by
ensuring that it no longer forms part of the fisheries policy? Is the Commission prepared to make the
granting of any further financial aid conditional upon pike culling being prohibited or, at best, permitted
on the basis of strict authorisation which would be granted only in exceptional cases?

5. What does the Commission intend to do to ensure that, after long years of neglect, the lakes in
western Ireland finally receive the treatment they require to restore them to health, treatment which will
result in the attainment of the original aid objectives such as a reduction in pollution, the promotion of
tourism and the management of the natural fish stocks?

4.12.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 340 E/37

Is the Commission prepared to offer Ireland further aid for a new programme which does not
6.
interfere with the ratios of the various species of fish found in the lakes and rivers but which actually
contributes to the restoration of a natural balance and to the promotion of tourism?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(7 June 2001)

1.
According to the information received from the Western Regional Fisheries Board (WRFB), the
development programme referred to in the letter of September 1997 was completed successfully in 1999
and all development targets met. It has been extremely successful in enhancing the wild brown trout
stocks. The project was managed in a professional manner by the Board concerned and has been audited
by international experts in this particular field. The auditor(cid:146)s report indicated that the programme had been
completed to an extremely high standard. Subsequent scientific monitoring of developed streams confirms
the success of the programme in flora, fauna, fish stock and avian terms.

2.
As indicated by the WRFB, it is the policy of the Fisheries Boards to manage the introduced pike
stocks in the waters specifically designated as salmonid waters and to ensure that these are specifically
managed to optimise trout stocks. This is an on-going annual programme. Removed pike are also
transferred to other pike waters in the region, of which there are 40 lakes.

As per the information provided by the WRFB, the great western lakes were always managed as wild
3.
brown trout fisheries and to that end stock management is part of the overall programme for ensuring that
trout stocks are optimised. When pike are removed some are tagged and transferred to other waters.

According to the North Western Regional Fisheries Board (NWRFB), pike control operations on trout lakes
are carried out on an annual basis, mainly during the pike spawning season. As regards the culling of pike
on Lough Arrow in December 2000, no gill nets were used during that period. However, an experiment
with new electro-fishing equipment took place on 21 December 2000, in the course of which just two
pike were captured and removed from the lake. This hardly represented extermination of pike and was not
co-financed by Community funds.

4.
As maintainted by the WRFB, the preservation of the West of Ireland wild brown trout is vital. The
three western lakes mentioned above are the most important wild brown trout lakes remaining in Europe.
To allow these lakes to deteriorate to lakes predominated by coarse fish species including pike would be
a disaster and a destruction of the natural heritage. There are thousands of lakes in Ireland and elsewhere
in Europe predominated by coarse fish species,
including pike, and extremely few wild brown trout
limestone lakes of consequence. All the top scientific evidence indicates that the strategy being adopted is
both correct and necessary. To allow these lakes to change would be to deny Europe one of the last
remaining strongholds of wild brown trout in the interests of those wishing to expand the realms of the
introduced species. The policy of stock management is unique to Ireland as the country holds the last
remaining stronghold of the species and is supported by hundreds of man-years of scientific expertise and
research.

There are over 500 quality pike fisheries in Ireland which are managed by the seven Regional Fisheries
Boards. No pike are removed from any of these 500 waters. In fact the Fisheries Boards have successfully
sought the introduction of a by-law to protect the pike stocks in all of these waters. i.e. anglers(cid:146) catches are
strictly limited. Pike control is only exercised on 10 lake wild brown trout fisheries and a small number of
brown trout/salmon rivers in the entire country.

As stated by the NWRFB, there is no (cid:145)merry-go-round of implementation, suspension and renewal of
extermination programmes(cid:146). Since it took over responsibility for management of the major trout lakes in
1985, the Board has had a consistent policy of controlling of pike stocks and such a policy has never been
suspended. Pike control is a crucially important element of management of trout fisheries and it would be
a serious error if further Community aid for fisheries development were to be made conditional on pike
culling being prohibited. Indeed, there would be no basis whatsoever for such a condition being imposed.

C 340 E/38

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.12.2001

According to the information provided by the WRFB, the developments commenced in 1996 have
5.
started a major revival in wild brown trout in the great western lakes. The resultant improvement in fish
stocks has endorsed the management and scientific methods used to achieve these goals. The Fisheries
Boards also welcome the Water Framework Directive, Directive 2000/60/EC of the Parliament and of the
Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water
policy (1) and the additional efforts that will be made to ensure the preservation of these lakes in their
pristine condition. In addition the promotion of these lakes as wild brown trout fisheries of international
importance second to none in Europe has already borne very significant results. The continuation of the
programme would further enhance the lakes their rivers and streams and the wild brown trout.

As per the NWRFB, any Community action is supported to ensure water quality is restored on the major
lakes, virtually all of which have shown significant signs of euthrophication over the past ten years or
more. As stated above, the primary responsibility in this regard rests with the various local authorities and
the Environment Protection Agency (EPA).

6.
As indicated by the WRFB, the fish species in the lakes include a number of introduced species (pike,
perch and roach). It has been clearly demonstrated that management of non-native fish species will require
the necessary promotion of native species in order to ensure that these lakes remain predominately
salmonid lakes. The restoration of the lakes and all related habitat should rely on the best scientific advice
available and it has been the objective of the Boards in question to ensure that any works undertaken are
in the light of the best scientific evidence. Any future funds made available will of course be for the works
supported by sound scientific advice.

According to the NWRFB, the situation is that pike are not a native species and were introduced to Ireland
from abroad. They are not, therefore, part of a (cid:145)natural balance(cid:146) in the lakes. As they prey heavily on trout,
it is essential to control their numbers in order to maintain a healthy stock of trout, a native species which
have been present in the lakes for more than ten thousand years.

(1) OJ L 327, 22.12.2000.

(2001/C 340 E/043)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0485/01

by Elspeth Attwooll (ELDR) and Niels Busk (ELDR) to the Council

Subject: State aid to support the fishing industry

(23 February 2001)

The Commission recently opened a formal investigation into state aid schemes in France and Spain which
are providing support to the fishing industry following recent increases in fuel prices.

Speaking before the European Parliament(cid:146)s Committee on Fisheries on 10 October 2000, the French
President-in-Office of the Council, Mr Jean Glavany, agreed to ask the Commission about what measures
might reasonably be taken to alleviate the pressure of such structural crises in the industry.

Can the Council outline what joint efforts have been made in this regard?

Reply

(10 July 2001)

The Council has received no proposal for any particular action by the Community in this respect. It would,
however, recall that any national measures must comply with the Community(cid:146)s competition rules and rules
on state aid. Such measures should be notified to the Commission, be degressive and limited in time.

The question was raised on the Presidency(cid:146)s initiative at the Council on 17 November 2000. It has not
been further pursued.