The Government is to establish a new national inland fisheries authority to replace the existing central and regional fisheries boards.
The move was announced by Minister of State for the Marine Pat the Cope Gallagher last night when he briefed representatives of fisheries boards on the new policy for restructuring the inland sector.
Main elements of the reform, as recommended in a review of the sector commissioned two years ago, will include empowering local "users and beneficiaries" to manage, promote and develop inland fisheries, and the creation of new regional management structures.
A regulatory regime will also be established "to oversee mechanisms governing the transfer, use of and access to fisheries and licensing" for both commercial and recreational fishing, determination of effort and total allowable catches, the Minister of State said.
Under the plan, the executive functions of the Central Fisheries Board and its regional boards will be subsumed into the new inland authority, and other functions will be transferred to the new regional management structures.
The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources will focus solely on the protection and conservation of the inland fisheries resource, and scientific research will transfer from the Central Fisheries Board to the Marine Institute.
Some staff at regional and central boards will become employees of the new authority, but this will depend on a "decision-making and accountability framework, including performance contracts", which will be developed "to support the alignment of policies and strategies,"Mr Gallagher said.
