FCILC JC 1 February 2002

1. A meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council in Sectoral format was held in the Slieve Gullion Courtyard, Killeavy, Co. Armagh on 1 February 2002. The meeting dealt with issues relating to the , Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission (FCILC), which is one of the six North/South Bodies. The functions of the FCILC in relation to the and Carlingford Areas are exercised through an agency of the body known as the Loughs Agency.

2. The Northern Ireland Administration Delegation comprised Mrs. Bríd Rodgers MLA, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development who chaired the meeting, and Mr Dermot Nesbitt MLA, Minister in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. The Irish Government was represented by Mr. Frank Fahey, T.D., Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources. Ministers expressed their sympathies to the families and work colleagues of the young man, Mark Spiers, who died in the fishing accident in Carlingford Lough earlier in the week. They also wished speedy recovery to Mark's colleagues Kevin Trainor and Kevin Kearney.

3. The Chairperson, Mr. Peter Savage, Board Member, Dr Pat Griffin and the Chief Executive, Mr. Derick Anderson of the Loughs Agency, respectively, provided the NSMC 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 NSMC approved the Loughs Agency Corporate Plan, which sets out the Agency's proposed activities for the years 2002 - 2004, and its Business Plan, which sets out a detailed work programme for 2002. New initiatives to help manage the fish stocks for which the Agency has responsibility, are to be progressed. These include the collection, audit and extension of productivity information from Carlingford and loughs and development of genetic monitoring techniques for the assessment of salmon stocks and their management. Key activities will include continuing to minimise the incidence of illegal fishing for salmonids, delivery of fisheries development, assisting in development of recreational fishing and provision of technical fisheries advice towards the reduction in the incidences of environmental damage to the water courses of the and Carlingford catchments. Mechanisms for transmitting and disseminating information to the public will be the Interpretive Centre which is planned to open in the Autumn of this year and development of a Web-Site.

5. At a previous meeting of the NSMC in this Sector, it was decided that an Advisory Forum should be established to assist the Loughs Agency in the effective management of Lough and Carlingford Lough. It was intended that this Forum would give stakeholders an input into the Agency's policy decisions. The Advisory Forum has now been established and is comprised of representatives of shellfishing, draft and drift net fishing, anglers, fishery owners, tourism operators, environmentalists, local businesses, local authorities, ports and harbours, forestry and agriculture. The Forum had its first meeting on 23 January, during which discussion took place in regard to the setting up of sub-groups to focus on particular issues concerning the Loughs. The next meeting of the Advisory Forum will take place in March.

6. The Loughs Agency has recently secured approval for its Equality Scheme from the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. The Loughs Agency is currently carrying out a two-stage equality screening process of all written and unwritten policies, strategies, procedures, protocols, guidelines, codes of practice and programmes of change which impact on its equality target groups. The Council commended the Loughs Agency on the thoroughness of its Equality Scheme.

7. The Council noted the final version of the Loughs Agency's New Targeting Social Need Action Plan which will now be implemented. New Targeting Social Need (New TSN) is a Northern Ireland policy aimed at tackling social need and social exclusion by targeting efforts and available resources towards people, groups, and areas objectively defined as being in greatest social need. The new TSN policy is in line with the social cohesion policy, which is an integral element of the partnership ethos that has developed in the South. The key objective of the Agency's plan focuses on the promotion and provision of educational opportunities for schools, the promotion of the Agency's interpretive centre, the improvement of angling facilities and the development of marine tourism.

8. The Council noted a report in regard to a dispute that has arisen in regard to the position of a site that is subject to an Aquaculture licence. Difficulties have arisen in regard to access to a public mussel fishery and navigational safety in the Lough. Minister Rodgers and Minister Fahey are endeavouring to resolve the matter to the satisfaction of all parties involved.

9. The Council noted progress reports on primary legislation for the Loughs Agency and on the situation regarding the proposed transfer of the functions of the Commissioners of Irish Lights to the Lights Agency.

10. The Council agreed that the next meeting in this Sectoral format would take place in the South in April 2002.

Joint Secretariat

1 February 2002