FCILC JC 15 April 2002

1. The eighth meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council in Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Sector was held in Agriculture House, Dublin on 15 April, 2002. The meeting dealt with issues relating to the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission (FCILC), which is one of the six North/South Implementation Bodies. The functions of the FCILC in relation to the Foyle and Carlingford Areas are exercised through an agency of the body known as the Loughs Agency.

2. The Irish Government was represented by Mr. Frank Fahey, T.D., Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, who chaired the meeting. The Northern Ireland Administration Delegation comprised Mrs. Bríd Rodgers MLA, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Mr. James Leslie, Minister in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

3. The Chairperson and the Chief Executive of the Loughs Agency, Mr Peter Savage and Mr Derick Anderson, respectively, provided the Council with oral reports on progress to date in taking forward the work of the Agency. This included progress in all of the areas of responsibility of the Loughs Agency including salmon and inland fisheries, marine tourism, aquaculture and shellfisheries.

4. The Chief Executive reported that the figures available indicated that the shellfisheries of Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough produced landing of mussels and European and Japanese oysters to a value of approximately stg £4m/euro 6.4m during 2001. Consultations are continuing on the future development of both Loughs, with an aquaculture initiative independent survey nearing completion. An audit of the recreational and tourism fisheries of the Loughs will report during the summer, indicating the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for the development of these resources to the benefit of the communities of the catchments.

5. A member of the Board of the FCILC, Ms. Sheila Tyrrell, who is also a director of Arklow Shipping Limited, recently tendered her resignation from the Board for personal reasons. The Council noted the resignation and expressed its appreciation for Ms Tyrell's contribution to the FCILC. The question of finding a replacement to fill the vacancy arising on the board will be discussed at a later meeting of the NSMC in this sector.

6. The Council was presented with a paper in regard to the interaction of seals and Atlantic Salmon. The Loughs Agency intends to convene a workshop in regard to this issue consisting of representatives of the recreational and salmon fisheries together with representatives of Agencies, Departments and other bodies with responsibilities for fisheries and environmental matters throughout the island of Ireland. The workshop will include experts from Britain and Canada to review past and current research in the areas of seal diet, behaviour and interactions with salmon and salmon fisheries. The workshop will also include a review of the distribution and trends in the abundance of seal populations in Ireland, the UK and the Atlantic seaboard of Europe and Canada, and will make recommendations for further research in regard to the impact of seals on salmon stocks.

7. The Council noted a report in regard to the position of a licensed mussel fishing area in Carlingford Lough, which overlaps part of the navigational channel. The Department of the Marine and Natural Resources, which issued the licence, has been in consultation with the office of the Attorney General. The two Departments and the Loughs Agency will continue to work towards a satisfactory arrangement for the area.

8. The Council was presented with a paper on the review of the Loughs Agency's Staffing and Structure undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers. This review was commissioned to ensure that the Loughs Agency has the necessary resources and the appropriate organisational structure to enable it to undertake its statutory functions effectively. The paper was noted by the Council and the report on the review will be formally submitted by the FCILC to the sponsor Departments and Finance Departments for consideration.

9. The Council agreed that the next meeting in this Sectoral format would take place in Northern Ireland in September/October 2002.

Joint Secretariat

15 April 2002