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Displaying items by tag: Minister of State for Fisheries

Salmon farmers have been reminded of the dangers of egg-bearing lice, despite a "sustained reduction" in their numbers according to a new report.
"Pest control will always remain a challenge requiring active management," said Minister of State for Fisheries Sean Connick, as quoted by The Irish Times.
The minister spoke at the launch of a report by the National Implementation Group (NIG) for improving pest control in Ireland's salmon farms.
The report noted that the majority of facilities maintained lice level below trigger levels for treatment, and where treatment was necessary it was conducted effectively.
In response to the report, Salmon Watch Ireland (SWI) claims that the risks to wild salmonids "by inadequately regulated salmon farming" are being ignored, threatening juvenile salmon and sea trout.
It also highlighted the fact that Ireland is being pushed by the European Commission to conform salmon farming to EU Habitats Directive standards for wild salmon.
"The reality is that the regulation of the salmon farming industry is a shambles," said the SWI in a statement.
The Irish Times has more on this story HERE.

Salmon farmers have been reminded of the dangers of egg-bearing lice, despite a "sustained reduction" in their numbers according to a new report.

"Pest control will always remain a challenge requiring active management," said Minister of State for Fisheries Sean Connick, as quoted by The Irish Times.

The minister spoke at the launch of a report by the National Implementation Group (NIG) for improving pest control in Ireland's salmon farms. 

The report noted that the majority of facilities maintained lice level below trigger levels for treatment, and where treatment was necessary it was conducted effectively.

In response to the report, Salmon Watch Ireland (SWI) claims that the risks to wild salmonids "by inadequately regulated salmon farming" are being ignored, threatening juvenile salmon and sea trout.

It also highlighted the fact that Ireland is being pushed by the European Commission to conform salmon farming to EU Habitats Directive standards for wild salmon.

"The reality is that the regulation of the salmon farming industry is a shambles," said the SWI in a statement.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

Published in Angling

Irish Sailing Classes and Association – There’s no shortage of one-design classes from which to choose and each gives its enthusiasts great competition, fun and camaraderie, writes Graham Smith in this review of the classes. 

One-design racing is where it all starts. It is, after all, where all the top sailors earned their stripes, battling away for line honours without a thought for a handicapper’s calculator wiping away a hard-fought victory!

Indeed, you could count on less than one hand the number of top Irish sailors who didn’t cut their teeth in a one-design dinghy! Just think of Cudmore, Barrington, Watson, Wilkins, Hennessy and Dix to name a few and you realise that they honed their skills in everything from Enterprises to Lasers and a lot in between.

At present count, there are a little over 30 one-design classes in Ireland, split almost evenly between dinghies and keelboats, a statistic which might raise a few eyebrows. They range from the long-established Mermaids, IDRA14s and Dragons to the newer additions like Fevas, Topaz and RS Elite. They all fill a particular need and give their owners and crews considerable enjoyment.

Many have attracted their World or European Championships to Irish waters over the years and while 2009 is notable for a lack of such events here, the following year will see the Etchells Worlds at Howth and perhaps a few other international regattas too.

In addition to the review, we asked each class to complete a questionnaire giving details of their fleet numbers, whether they were on a growth pattern or holding their own, so we could highlight those ‘on the up’ and those remaining static in terms of numbers. The older traditional designs, as you might imagine, fall into the latter category, although that’s not a negative!

CLASS REVIEW  The State of the Classes – League Table (as at February 2009)

S = Static; U = Up/growing

275     Optimist   U

200+   Laser   S

189     Mermaid   S

160     Flying Fifteen   S

130     RS Feva   U

115     Shannon One Design    U

100+   Mirror   S

100+   Topper   U

99       Topaz   U

94       Laser SB3   U

87       GP14   U

85       Squib   S

70       Fireball   S

70       Ruffian   S

60       J24   S

60       Shipman   S

52       Dragon   S

50       RS400/200   S

50       420    U

43       Multihulls    U

42       Dragon    S

40       Water Wags    U

40       Wayfarer    S

34       IDRA14    U

33       Puppeteer    U

28       Etchells    S

27       E-Boat    U

26       Glen    S

25       Enterprise    S

18       Sigma 33    S

18       Howth 17    U

13       RS Elite    U