Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action to discuss Fish Migration and Barriers to migration in Ireland

The meeting at 11am in Committee Room 3 of Leinster House will hear from representatives of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), the Atlantic Salmon Trust and the Rivers Trust (All-Ireland).

Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Brian Leddin said: “With the growth of mass industry over the last two centuries, man-made barriers such as bridges, dams, weirs and discharge points have become a major feature of rivers and inland waterways across Europe. These barriers have a significant impact on the migratory patterns of fish species such as Atlantic salmon, sea trout, eels and sturgeon, which often travel long distances to reproduce.

“In recent decades, there has been a growing awareness in Europe of the need to tackle issues around barriers and fish migration and the European Commission has developed guidance to assist EU Member States in identifying and prioritising barriers for removal. This process runs in parallel with the European Biodiversity Strategy that aims to restore 25,000 kilometres of free-flowing EU rivers by 2030. The Committee looks forward to discussing with our stakeholders these initiatives and efforts in Ireland to remove barriers and restore our rivers and increase fish migration in our inland waterways.”

The Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.

The meeting in Committee Room 3 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.