The Government's action plan to prevent water pollution, announced after a summer of high profile water contamination incidents, is being expanded. Six of the country's main river systems are to be part of a "catchment management" scheme designed to protect and develop their fisheries resources.
Details of the new pilot scheme were announced yesterday by the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Dr Woods, after he met the main angling organisations. Local fisheries, tourism, angling, industry and farming interests will work together to produce a development strategy for each system.
The Minister said his aim was to "ensure the resources of the fisheries service and relevant agencies and interests are deployed to best effect to prevent pollution, and to develop Ireland's rivers and lakes to their full potential in the interest of all who use them."
Catchment management plans are strongly advocated by the European Commission, which has threatened to bring Ireland to court for failure to control adequately discharges into the aquatic environment - notably of phosphates and nitrates.
The catchments are: Vartry (Co Wicklow), Barrow, Mulkear, Killarney. including the River Laune, the Moy and south Donegal, including Drouse, Lough Melvin and Pettigo. Regional fishery boards will co-ordinate the initiative.
The aim is to tackle threats to fish habitats and stocks of both game and coarse fish, and maximise development opportunities. A review of fisheries legislation and structures, together with a five-year development plan, is in progress.
The first meeting of the inland fisheries forum, announced after recent pollution incidents, will take place this month.
Dr Woods welcomed the opportunity to hear anglers' views.
According to a spokesman for the Trout Anglers' Federation of Ireland, the delegation demanded that fines and penalties for pollution should reflect the seriousness of offences. They wished to see offenders pay the full cost of restocking, and a jail sentence option.
