Minister O’Dowd launches AARC
Press release 28/11/12
Minister O’Dowd launches ARCC
Minister Fergus O’Dowd launched the Atlantic Aquatic Resource Conservation Conference in Limerick, which was attended by delegates from five countries, on Wednesday November 28th.
The Conference, showcases integrated collaborative water resource management projects across the European Atlantic Arc.
It is the culmination of work undertaken by 13 international partnerships across five European countries and is an opportunity to share the research, findings and recommendations to support the conservation of native fish species.
As the project nears conclusion in December 2012, all AARC project requirements have been met and exceeded in a number of cases.
Dr Ciaran Byrne, Minister Fergus O'Dowd, Dr Cathal Gallagher, Brendan O'Mahony, Michael O'Brien, Amanda Mooney at the AARC Conference
In Ireland the project has made a valuable contribution to the Shannon Salmon Restoration Plan (SSRP) which looks at redressing the decline in Atlantic Salmon populations throughout the Shannon river system.
Overall AARC has provided an important instrument to facilitate a pan-European approach to conserving our indigenous, migratory fish stocks.
Speaking at the launch of the conference Minister O’Dowd highlighted the importance of EU research programmes like AARC in enhancing international research and collaboration. “The strong inter-regional co-operation, under AARC, between regional authorities and research institutions has increased our knowledge of the conservation requirements of these important European fish species,” said Minister O’Dowd. “AARC has ensured that we will play our part in utilising this new knowledge and co-operation for the enhancement of the conservation status of important EU species and habitats.”
AARC is a three-year project, launched in 2009, which focuses on migratory stocks of protected fish species: Shad, Atlantic Salmon, Sea Trout, Sea Lamprey, European Eel, and Smelt.
Across Europe these species have economic, cultural and environmental value but are in decline.
The issue of their decline is truly transnational and can only be addressed through long-term intensive transnational collaboration.
A major theme running through the European AARC Project is establishing the role of wider stakeholders in the management of our aquatic resources.
Many of the AARC partners have worked on novel ways to engage local stakeholders in protecting, conserving and managing these resources through the AARC project activities. The total project budget is €3.87m. The budget for the Irish partners over 3 years is €754,242.
In Ireland, the project dealt with restorative initiatives for Atlantic Salmon in the Shannon System. This included determining the genetic composition of contemporary and historical populations of salmon in the Shannon and comparing the relative performance in the wild of the progeny Feale, Mulkear and Shannon wild and hatchery salmon populations. The Irish partners in the project are:
- Inland Fisheries Ireland
- ESB Fisheries Conservation
- University College Cork
- Marine Institute
The Shannon AARC project will address issues pertaining to fish passage, water quality, habitat and hatchery programmes in addition to the construction of a project specific GIS, co-ordination of stock assessment surveys and the promotion of catchment management.
The project will help identify important factors in the conservation of Atlantic salmon in the Shannon.
It will provide a set of useful maps and a spatial visualisation tool, for improved planning and development throughout the Shannon catchment.
Results will help inform fisheries staff of the current status of Atlantic salmon populations in the Shannon as well as provide a useful inventory or potential and/or historical salmon locations in the Shannon.
The project will also benefit inter-agency co-operation, particularly in relation to River Shannon fisheries management and will strengthen the links with relevant research institutions and international fisheries experts.
…ENDS…
Media Enquiries
Suzanne Campion
Head of Business Development
Inland Fisheries Ireland
Anglesea Street,Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
Tel: 052 6180055 Mob: 087 2690183 Fax: 052 6123971
Email: suzanne.campion@fisheriesireland.ie Website: www.fisheriesireland.ie
Notes to Editor
Inland Fisheries Ireland is a statutory body operating under the aegis of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and was established under the Fisheries Act on 1st July 2010. Its principal function is the protection and conservation of the inland fisheries resource. IFI will promote, support, facilitate and advise the Minister on, the conservation, protection, management, development and improvement of inland fisheries, including sea angling and develop and advise the Minister on policy and national strategies relating to inland fisheries and sea angling.
