Inland and Marine Fisheries: Statements Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-04 ============================================================ Manus Boyle (FG), Nominated by the Taoiseach I am going to start with inland fisheries and then I will move on to the pelagic area. I am addressing the Cathaoirleach, the Minister of State and my colleagues today on the role of Inland Fisheries Ireland, the health of our rivers and streams and the policy decisions that will determine the future of Ireland's most valuable natural resource. Ireland's inland fisheries are not simply environmental concerns, they are economic, cultural, rural and development issues. The biodiversity, tourism, angling, coastal and land communities all reflect how seriously we take our environmental obligations under EU and national law. Inland Fisheries Ireland was established under the Inland Fisheries Act 2010 with statutory responsibility for protecting, conserving and managing our inland fisheries resource, which involves more than 74,000 km of rivers and streams and 128 ha of lakes, as well as the 12-mile limit around our coast. The IFI plays a vital role in enforcing fisheries and pollution legislation, conducting scientific monitoring and research, restoring habitats, supporting angling and rural economics, and advising the Government on fisheries and water policy. This is a broad mandate and it is important to acknowledge that progress has been made. There have been many necessary and welcome interventions. There is the barrier mitigation programme which had significant capital investment and brought real ecological gains by removing obstacles, weirs and structures that block the migration of fish. This is a tangible evidence-based success. There has been increased funding for river restoration, delivering through the IFI community partnership, which is helping to repair and dredge habitats and build local stewardship. There is a greater emphasis on a catch-based approach, including co-operation with LAWPRO, the local authority waters programme, and Teagasc which reflects a more intricate understanding of water management. There is regulation of the angling economy, in particular in rural Ireland, where there is increasing evidence of tourism and regulation development strategies. These initiatives show that when policy, funding and science align, progress is possible. However, there are serious gaps that require attention. Despite investment in water quality, there is a decline in many areas due to agricultural nutrients run-off, sedimentation and pollution, which remain persistent threats to fish kills, oxygen depletion and habitat loss. They still occur too frequently. Equally concerning is the governance and stakeholder engagement that has weakened, in particular through the absence of structured dialogue between the Government and those directly affected by fisheries policy. I want to address specifically the National Inshore Fisheries Forum, NIFF, established under the 2010 Act. NIFF is a crucial strategy platform for stakeholder engagement, allowing anglers, commercial fishermen, environmental groups and communities to contribute to fishery policy formation. The forum last met in January 2025 and following the end of its term in 2025 it has not been re-established. Its absence represents a serious domestic policy weakness at a time when fisheries policy is under so much pressure from climate change, EU compliance requirements, declining stocks and competing land demands. The removal of this structured stakeholder voice weakens policy outcome and risks management at a local level. Will the Minister of State commit today to the immediate re-establishment of the National Inshore Fisheries Forum, and a clear timetable for its operation going forward? Good environmental policy is strengthened not weakened by informed stakeholder input. Agriculture remains Ireland's economic and rural identity but I must be honest in saying it also impacts our rivers and streams. Nutrient run-off, sediment loss, bank erosion and poor riparian management continue to place pressure on our freshwater ecosystem. While farmers operate responsibly, the overall impact on catchment level remains significant. What is working is the shift away from purely enforcement-led action towards advisory based schemes, financial incentives and locally tailored solutions. Initiatives such as the farming for water European innovation partnership, EIP, project shows promise but it must be expanded, simplified and properly resourced if it is to deliver meaningful improvement at scale. Water protection cannot be treated as an optional add-on to agricultural policy. It must be embedded within it. I want to comment on traditional draft net fisheries. These are often overlooked as part of Ireland's heritage. These fisheries are deeply embedded in the social and cultural fabric of coastal and rural communities. They have operated sustainably for generations and represent a direct connection with people, place and water. A clear example of this is the Loughros Mór Draft Net Fisher's Group in Ardara in my home county of Donegal. Fishermen currently pay a licence fee of €545, which is €147 higher than any other draft licence fee in the country, to use the fishery. Since the licence increase was introduced in 2022, repeated requests to align these fees with those that apply nationally have gone unanswered. This discrepancy is difficult to justify and places an unnecessary financial burden on small traditional fisheries that already operate within scientific and regulatory controls. Will the Minister of State reduce the licence fee relating to Loughros Mór and bring it into line with other draft net fisheries for the 2026 season? This would be a modest, meaningful gesture of fairness and recognition for a community that has been overseeing the fishery in a responsible manner for generations. Inland Fisheries Ireland operates at the intersection where the environment, culture, economics and community meet. Progress has been made, but challenges remain, including declining water quality, weakened stakeholder engagement and pressure on traditional fisheries. What is required is policy consistency, strong Government action and renewed dialogue. By restoring the National Inshore Fisheries Forum, strengthening catchment levels, supporting responsible farming and treating traditional fisheries with fairness and respect, the Government can ensure that Ireland's inland waters are protected, not just for compliance or conservation but also for all the communities that depend on them. I have a couple of questions on the pelagic sector. We know that other countries have taken a 47% cut. Why can Europe not agree a 47% cut? That would have a major impact on our ports. What is Europe doing about third countries? The Minister of State had meetings with the Commissioner. One question that keeps coming up is what we are doing about both third countries and legal action in respect of the Hague preferences. The other question that keeps coming up concerns the service industries. Will they be included in the new group? Is there any word on getting the ports opened up in order that we can try to attract other boats? --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-04/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:35+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-02-04