€3m scheme for eel fishing
Deputy Peter Burke received confirmation last week from Sean Kyne TD, minister with responsibility for inland fisheries, in relation to the establishment of a support fund to address the hardship experienced by commercial eel fishing in the last decade.
He said that the €3 million scheme will affect those licensed or permitted to fish and affected by the government decision to align the wild eel fishery with scientific advice on eel stocks.
Deputy Burke said the fund is designed to be a restitution payment targeted at those who were engaged in commercial eel fishing prior to the establishment of the National Eel Management Plans and a public consultation in 2008, which led to closure of the commercial eel fishery.
He stated that his colleague Minister Kyne along with former Minister Denis Naughten have worked hard over the last year to secure funding to pay those who had experienced hardship as a result of the restrictions.
“Both ministers led consultation with the European Commission on the proposed fund and liaised with the Revenue Commissioners on the potential tax treatment of persons receiving payments. Inland Fisheries Ireland will administer the fund on behalf of the government,” said Deputy Burke.
“I have lobbied both ministers continuously for an eel hardship fund which reflects fairness for those who were so badly affected by the cessation of commercial eel fishing.
"I have followed up frequently with the ministers and I was glad to get a phone call from Minister Sean Kyne (on Wednesday last) to confirm the fund has been established and eel fishermen and women from this constituency can apply for rebate.
"I am glad the minister responded to my calls after I impressed on him the detrimental effects which have been suffered in this industry locally and further afield.”
It is intended that the scheme was open for applications from Monday October 22 and applications must be received by 5pm on November 30. Application forms and detailed information on the scheme, including supporting information required, appeals mechanisms, will be available from Inland Fisheries Ireland offices and the IFI website at fisheriesireland.ie, from the opening date of October 22.
The fund is available to all commercial eel licence holders who held a licence (or an eel fishing permit from the ESB) in the 2007 season.
A tax free sum may be paid to licence or permit holders in respect of each of the five reckonable years (2003-2007) for which they were a licence or permit holder.
A further taxable payment may be made to licence or permit holders in respect of the average of their catches, based on state held records, during the five reckonable years (2003-2007)
Licence /Permit payments:
This element of the support payment is tax exempt. Once a licence or permit was held in 2007, the records for prior years are taken into consideration.
Year Single Licence Shared Licence / Permit
2003 €4,000 €2,000
2004 €3,500 €1,750
2005 €3,000 €1,500
2006 €2,500 €1,250
2007 €1,000 €500
Catch Related Payments
Bands of payments taxable for average catch over years fished in the datum years. Once a licence or permit was held in 2007, the fisherman’s or woman’s catch records for prior years (2003-2007) are taken into consideration towards an average annual catch.
Catch Range kg/Gross Payment
0 €0
1-50 €1,000
51-150 €1,500
151- 300 €3,000
301-650 €6,000
651-1000 €10,000
1001-1500 €13,000
1501-2000 €16,000
2001-4000 €21,000
Over 4000 €23,000
The fund will be paid over a period of three years and the amount will be paid in three instalments. The first non-taxable instalment will be paid (if the application is verified and approved by IFI) before December 31, 2018. Subject to verification of tax compliance, it is intended that the first taxable instalment will be also be paid before December 31, 2018. The two further instalments will be in the two subsequent years (2019 and 2020).
Background to fishery Closure:
Following the advice from the International Council for the exploration of the Seas (ICES) that the stock is endangered, the EU Commission asked all member states to create a National Eel Management Plan.
A public consultation process on Ireland’s Eel Management Plan was held during 2008.
The precautionary approach was adopted in accordance with the recommendations of the National Eel Working Group and the eel fishery was ceased before the 2009 season.
Ireland Eel Management Plan, including the closure, was approved by the European Commission.
Ireland’s EMP was reviewed in 2012 and again in 2015. Both reviews included a comprehensive scientific assessment of eel stocks nationally and detailed public consultation processes. Both reviews concluded that measures within the EMP should be continued.
The latest advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) in October 2017 is that: The status of eel remains critical and ICES advises that all anthropogenic mortality (eg recreational and commercial fishing, hydropower, pumping stations, and pollution) affecting production and escapement of silver eels should be reduced to – or kept as close to – zero as possible.