THE EU WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE

Water Framework Directive - "Challenges & Opportunities for Fisheries Workshop Mullingar" - 2nd & 3rd June 2004


Report on WFB Workshop

A seminar and workshop on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive was held in the Mullingar Park Hotel on 2nd and 3rd June 2004. The event hosted by the Central Fisheries Board and attracting 120 delegates, heard speakers from Ireland, the UK and the EU deliver papers on the theme " challenges and opportunities for fisheries".

The Junior Minister for the Marine, John Browne T.D., opening the seminar, said that under the WFD fish would be one of the biological indicators. The physical habitat of our waterways would be another indicator and in that regard he was today reporting that the "Wetted Areas Study" had recently been completed. The Minister said that the relevant agencies would deliver the national programme however there were resource implications. One of the primary concerns was the over-enrichment of our waters by nitrates. The Government is resolved to "protect existing water quality and to reduce the levels of pollution. The agricultural sector has been identified as the largest contributor of nitrates in our waters and non-compliance with the Nitrates Directive is not an option. The financial consequences for Ireland and Irish agriculture are potentially devastating if we do not respond with an action programme".

"The Government objective is to negotiate the best possible terms with the EU Commission and we believe that a satisfactory derogation of up to 250 kg/hectare will be achieved to take account of Irish concerns".

Over the two days the delegates heard papers from a range of speakers on the implement process of the WFD in Ireland:

· The implementation process here is on schedule however the consultation process with stakeholders was not taking place as yet.

· Funding will be under the Common Agriculture Policy. Adequate resources both financial and human will need to be allocated in the immediate future. At present the process is being implemented by staff who are doing the job on top of their normal day job.

· Fish-based assessment will be one of the indicators for the quality of our water and in that regard a standardised method has been agreed. Up to now research has principally been carried out on salmonid species in shallow waters mainly rivers. This standardised method will assess all species at all depths in both rivers and lakes however only lakes in excess of 50Ha will be surveyed.Only 5% of Irish lakes are larger than 50Ha. Assessment of fish will also take place in estuaries and transition waters and as a consequence it is expected that commercial fishing will be banned in these waters out to one mile past the base lines. The methods to do the assessments will include electro-fishing, hydro acoustics and use of various nets and traps. A standardised gillnet has bee agreed for the assessment in deep water called the multi-mesh Nordic gillnet. The net contains 12 mesh size, each panel being 2.5 m long and 1.5 m in height, total gillnet length of 30 m. The mesh sizes vary from 5mm up to 55mm with the thread thickness from 0.1mm up to 0.25mm. It is estimated that it will take up to 3 years to carry out the initial base assessments. Pressures on fish stocks other than water quality will also need to be addressed. These include hydro power stations, which was found to kill an estimated 50 tons of migrating fish each per year.

· There is no guarantee that the Fisheries Boards will be given the task of carrying out the fish-based assessments.

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