Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 1986 > Committee on Public Expenditure > Report No. 14 - State Support and Services to the Fishing Industry

APPENDIX 3

List of Departments, State agencies and other Statutory Bodies involved in marine or fresh-water fisheries

The Department of Fisheries and Forestry

The Department is responsible for formulating and implementing appropriate national policies and programmes, for the preparation and administration of fisheries legislation, for the collection of fishery statistics, for fishery protection, quality control and for carrying out fisheries research.

Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM)

The Board is the development agency for all wild-stock marine fisheries and for fish farming outside of the Gaeltacht areas; it is responsible for providing market information and assistance, provides short training courses for fishermen, assists in the implementation of investment proposals in catching, processing, distribution and fish farming, undertakes exploratory fishing and gear trials, and operates a marine credit plan.

Udaras na Gaeltachta

Udaras na Gaeltachta is the development agency for fish farming in the Gaeltacht area.

Central Fisheries Board

The Central Fisheries Board co-ordinates and direct the Regional Boards, is responsible for the overall conservation, protection, development and improvement of inland fisheries and sea angling, and carries out some fisheries research. It is responsible for the conservation and management of salmon resources.

Regional Fisheries Board

The seven Regional Boards prepare fisheries’ development programmes for their areas, protect oyster and other mollusc fisheries, encourage and promote angling for salmon, trout, coarse fish and sea fish, and issue licences for fishing. Some of the Boards operate salmon hatcheries and salmon re-stocking programmes.

Department of Communications

The Department issues licences and regulates fees for the mooring of permanent and semi-permanent structures in a sea area, and for the construction of facilities (including outfalls) on the foreshore. The Department is also responsible for the development of a national policy on harbours.

Office of Public Works

The OPW acts as agent for the Department of Fisheries in the construction or improvement of fishery or other harbours. It also manages a number of harbours on behalf of the State and undertakes arterial drainage programmes which have a significant impact on inland fisheries.

The National Board for Science & Technology (NBST)

The NBST co-ordinates aquaculture research and development, finances research projects in third level educational institutes, and promotes international co-operation in aquaculture and marine fisheries research and development.

The Universities

University College Galway has developed a major centre for marine research, with emphasis on mariculture at the Shellfish Research Laboratory, Carna. Applied research programmes are also implemented within the Zoology, Botany, and Microbiology Departments.

University College Cork has research programmes in fish diseases and aquaculture engineering, and is developing a course in mariculture.

University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin undertake research and teaching in fresh-water and marine ecology, and UCD has teaching and research programmes on fisheries management.

Regional Technical Colleges (RTC)

The RTC at Galway provides a three-year intensive course in aquaculture for supervisory level staff. A one-year course is offered by the RTC at Letterkenny. Courses on the operation and development of shell fisheries are offered at Tralee RTC.

Vocational Educational Committees (VEC)

County Cork VEC has expressed an interest in developing a course in mariculture, based in West Cork.

County Development Teams

These teams have the task of fostering economic development in each of the western counties, and are co-ordinated at national level by the Central Development Committee. Particularly in Donegal, Galway and Cork the teams have been involved in encouraging aquaculture projects especially co-op based projects, and have grant-aided some projects to a limited extent.

Coras Trachtala (CTT)

CTT, as the state organisation for the promotion and development of exports, provides assistance and facilities to BIM in marketing fish and shellfish overseas.

Department of Health and the Health Boards

The Health Boards are responsible for certifying that shellfish and fin-fish are free of bacterial or other contamination which would constitute a health hazard. The Department of Health has statutory powers covering the acceptability of premises for the preparation of food products for human consumption.

County Councils and other Local Authorities

Permission from the appropriate County Council planning authority must be sought for any proposed development on land or when making any material change in the use of any structures on land, or before making any discharge to water. Any aquaculture development inland or on coastal lands will require such permissions. Local Authorities also discharge sewage to inland and coastal waters, with locally significant impacts on the suitability of these waters for aquaculture or for holding wild-stock shellfish. A large number of small harbours and piers used by fishing boats are also under the control of maritime Local Authorities.

Institute for Industrial Research and Standards (IIRS)

The IIRS, within its remit of promoting the application of science and technology in industry, is able to provide advice on effluent treatment and other technical aspects of fish processing.

An Foras Forbartha (AFF)

This Institute, under the aegis of the Department of the Environment, is responsible for hydrometric surveys, for the production of water quality standards, and for monitoring water quality in rivers, lakes and estuaries. The Water Resources Division of AFF also produces water quality management plans for river catchments.

The Salmon Research Trust of Ireland Inc.

The Trust undertakes research into selective breeding of salmonids, rearing techniques and census work on wild populations. Its work has been confined to one river system, but the results produced have a wide application to salmonid farming and management.

Electricity Supply Board

The ESB has statutory responsibility for managing and developing the Shannon fisheries along with other fisheries which have been acquired for the purpose of hydro-electric power generation. The ESB operates the largest salmon hatcheries in Ireland, and has been the principal supplier of smolts to salmon farms. The Board also operates a major salmon farm in Mulroy Bay, County Donegal, and its other activities include eel and salmon ranching, and trout culture in cages.

Bord Failte Eireann: The Irish Tourist Board

In developing and promoting tourism, Bord Failte encourages anglers to visit Ireland by means of a range of activities including overseas promotions, grants towards the provision of facilities for anglers and provides market information.

The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI)

The ESRI is an independent non-profit making body which works to increase knowledge of the social and economic conditions of society. It has carried out a number of studies of the economic value of salmon fisheries and a major study of the sea fishing industry.