Public Consultation: Designated Salmonid Waters Bye-Law

Designated Salmonid Waters Bye-Law

Sean Kyne, T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, gives notice of his intention to make the Designated Salmonid Waters Bye-Law.

This Bye-law provides for the designation of the waters and their tributaries, specified in the Schedule below, to be managed primarily for the benefit of   salmonid species.  These waters are already designated in fisheries management policy.

The Bye-law also introduces a daily bag limit of 4 pike in those waters.

Putting or transfer of any fish species to the designated waters shall require a written application to Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) and is only permitted with the written consent of IFI.

A copy of the draft Bye-law, which is available online at the Department's website, is open for public inspection at the offices of the Department in Cavan and also at the offices of Inland Fisheries Ireland.

Any person may submit observations/objections to the draft regulations at any time during the period of 21 days concluding at 5pm on 25 May, 2018, either by e-mail to inland.fisheries@dccae.gov.ie or by post to the address below. All submissions received will be published on the Department’s website following the conclusion of the consultation period.

Inland Fisheries Division
Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment,
Elm House,
Earlsvale Road,
Cavan Town
H12 A8H7
Ireland

Tel (01) 6783071     /Lo-call 1890 449900 Extension 3071

(Note: the rates charged for the use of the 1890 number may vary between service providers).

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.1. What is the purpose of the proposed Bye-law?

The purpose of the proposed Bye-law is to afford additional protection to wild brown trout in certain State–owned waters where significant stock control measures are already in place. This existing designation in respect of the 7 State –owned waters where stock management exists is to be given statutory effect by means of a Bye-law in the first instance.  This will mean that the waters concerned ar managed “primarily as brown trout waters”.

The proposed designation of waters correlates with those waters with policy based designation which entail significant stock management.

Q.2. What is the position of other waters outside the scope of the proposed Bye-Law?

The proposed Bye-law, as secondary legislation, will focus on existing policy designation on State-owned waters where stock management is in place. It is intended that the complexity of a broader designation of waters and any required management measures, will have be considered as a matter of primary legislation and, therefore, in the context of the Inland Fisheries Consolidation Bill currently being advanced by the Department.  

Q.3. Why will the Bye-law No. 809 of 2006 (Conservation of Pike Bye-law) not apply in the waters being designated?  

Excepting the small number of waters concerned from the provisions of Bye-law No. 809 of 2006 is considered consistent with the policy intention to manage these waters primarily as brown trout waters and to afford additional protection to this species in these waters. However, a bag limit for pike (4 fish per day) is being introduced to manage the impact on this species.

This proposal is confined to the 7 State-owned waters already designated in policy and on which significant stock management programmes have been in place for some years. These waters represent a very small percentage of available angling waters

Q.4. Why will permission be required to introduce or place any species of fish into the waters concerned?

Again this is intended to be consistent with the overall policy thrust of the proposed Bye-law to manage these waters primarily as brown trout waters.   The advantages of this proposal include addressing biosecurity and genetic concerns, control and management of the potential transfer of pathogens, safeguarding against the introduction of alien invasive fish species and predator control. This would represent best practice in terms of managing potential non-native introductions.

In this regard it is intended that the broader response to these issues will also be addressed in the primary legislation being drafted in the Department.

Q.5. What is the current status of the Bye-law?

The Bye-law is proposed secondary legislation and is in draft format.   It is currently subject to public consultation. Before it can be finalised, its contents and potential scope will also require legal consultation and settlement.