FCILC JC 21 May 2008

1.  The tenth North South Ministerial Council meeting in the Aquaculture and Marine Sectoral format meeting was held in Dublin Castle on Wednesday 21 May 2008.

2.  The Irish Government was represented by Eamon Ryan, TD, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. The Northern Ireland Executive was represented by Michelle Gildernew, MP, MLA, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and Minister Edwin Poots, MLA, Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure.   Minister Ryan chaired the meeting.

3.  The Chairperson and the Chief Executive of the Loughs Agency, Mr Tarlach O’Crosain and Mr Derick Anderson, respectively, presented a report to the Council on developments since the last meeting in November 2007.

4.  Ministers noted that the Agency is developing plans for the delivery of its Marine Tourism and Recreation and Fishing strategy and asked the Chief Executive to bring forward a fuller report on this strategy, detailing plans for collaborative work with other bodies, to a future meeting of the Council.

5.  The Council noted ongoing work to develop an emergency procedure for the approval of regulations to deal with events requiring immediate intervention for the protection of the fisheries of the Foyle and Carlingford Areas.

6.  The Council discussed the Loughs Agency’s Aquaculture and Shellfisheries strategy and looked forward to receiving a report on its implementation at a future meeting. Ministers also noted that it is planned to finalise a Management Agreement later this year with a view to initiating Aquaculture licensing in Lough Foyle during 2009.

7.  The Council noted progress in respect of the Commencement Orders that are required to bring forward a staged and managed introduction of the new powers available to the Loughs Agency to develop and license aquaculture and to protect the fisheries in the Foyle and Carlingford areas.

8.  Ministers welcomed the Agency’s legislation implementation plan and noted that five sets of regulations will require NSMC approval in June and that a further nine sets will require NSMC approval later in 2008.

9.  The Council agreed that its next meeting in the Aquaculture and Marine Sectoral format would take place in June 2008 with a further meeting in October/November 2008.