67 th MEETING OF THE FOYLE CARLINGFORD AND IRISH LIGHTS COMMISSION Attendees Wednesday 25 th 2011 @ 11am Loughs Agency Headquarters, Prehen Present Tarlach O Crosain (Chairman) Jacqui McConville (Vice Chair) Joe Miller Jim Wilson Denis Haughey John Byrne Winston Patterson Enda Bonner John Mulcahy In Attendance - Loughs Agency Derick Anderson CEO John Pollock Director of Corporate Services John McCartney Director of Conservation and Protection Gerard Mills Director of Development Laura French (Minutes) 1. Apologies Alan McCulla Thomas Sloan Brendan Byrne Barry Fox Director of Aquaculture and Shellfisheries 2. Minutes of the Previous Meeting The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed as an accurate record. Proposed Denis Haughey Seconded Jacqui McConville
3. Reserved Minutes The reserved minutes of the previous meeting were agreed. Proposed Denis Haughey Seconded Jacqui McConville 4. Matters Arising All agreed that all matters arising were covered on the agenda. 5. CEO Report RESERVED CEO reported to the Board that he had a discussion with Pat Colgan, CEO with SEUPB in relation to the IBIS Project and had hoped that there would be a positive outcome in 2 to 3 weeks. CEO advised that the next North South Ministerial Council sectoral Meeting was planned for early July 2011. 6. Directors Report The Board were provided with updates from the Senior Management Team each giving a brief overview on their respective areas. Aquaculture and Shellfisheries CEO provided the Board with a short report as Barry Fox, Director of Aquaculture and Shellfishes was currently on leave; CEO advised that Barry had organised a stakeholders meeting and a meeting of the Aquaculture and Shellfisheries Focus Group of the Advisory Forum on 11 th 2011 and gave the meeting a short update on the outcome of both meetings. CEO advised of the current delays in the roll out of Aquaculture with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Crown Estates Commission and asked for the opinion of the Board to send a letter to the Ministers both North and South to voice the Agency s concerns in relation to this. The Board were supportive of this letter being sent as nothing was to be gained by delaying anymore.
Proposed Jim Wilson Seconded John Mulcahy Development Gerard Mills, Director of Development provided the Board with the following report; SCENE/Queens University Belfast Project Bid has been made and submitted to SEUPB by 10 th of July 2009. Outcome passed on the scoring accountable Departments abstained and JTS is to re visit the application shortly. In Progress Staffing Interreg Marine Tourism Strategy Approval granted February 2011. Hope to have FME appointed in Sustainable Development Business Case This is with our sponsor Departments and we hope to receive approval for 2011 call. Mill Bay and Narrow Water Projects Projects developed with Mourne Heritage Trust / Northern Ireland Tourist Board / Newry and Mourne District Council and Agency are now through tender stage with Central Procurement Division. The estimated value of the two projects overall is circa 225,000 and will be the first of the projects identified as part of the Mourne Coastal Route. Mill Bay Complete Narrow Water at snagging list Projects have come in slightly over budget - report appended Projects underway Sail West A provisional offer of 10,000 for partnership with Northern Regional Fisheries Board to develop promotional materials for the North West has been received. Board will be advised in due course of the outcome. Newry Canal Study
Terms of Reference completed and we hope to commence this shortly. Final sampling done in February 2011 Report due week ending 21 st April 2011. Designs for Whitewater site and costing complete this will be subject to funding from Northern Ireland Tourist Board; Newry and Mourne District Council have agreed to submit the Lawful Development Certificate. Design appended Designs for Cranfield amenity area and beach front completed project will be subject to funding. Support for the Tain Walking Festival 2011 reports to follow. Report appended. Angling promotional shows have been agreed for the year 2011 and we will report on these in due course. Angling Fair is planned for the weekend of the 21-22 nd 2011. Foyle Days event will be supported in 2011 along with Derry City Council. Clipper final sponsorship package has now been confirmed. Pontoons and mooring in the city centre have now been confirmed to proceed updates will follow. Promotional literature for Foyle and Carlingford will be redeveloped this year which is in hard copy and online to download. Newry Canal Parking DRD have agreed to site survey the canal to see if hard standing can be installed at suitable locations along the canal these would be done under a micro scheme. Newry and Mourne District Council have agreed to facilitate the land search. Cost would be under 10k to facilitate the scheme. Surveys completed by DRD week ending 22 nd April 2011. Chairman congratulated all involved in this year s Angling Fair especially due to the adverse weather conditions.
Conservation and Protection John McCartney, Director of Conservation and Protection provided the Board with the following short report; John McCartney began his report by advising the Board of an incident that had taken place at Lifford where a young man was believed to have ended up in the River. John added that the family in question had a history with the Agency staff but all difference were out aside and Agency staff were helping out in the ongoing search. Board members praised staff for their work and advised that their thoughts were with the Colhoun family at this time. The first signs of fish are appearing on the counters, with an average run for this time of year. The spring has been characterised by intense poaching activity, probably as a result of an increased value in salmon and downturn in the economy. However the poaching has been accompanied by extreme violence, including damage to vehicles and a near miss where a series of large rocks and blocks were dropped onto a patrol boat going under Lifford Bridge. If it had struck a member of staff it could have resulted in a fatality. In addition to the hard-line poachers there are also gangs of teenagers in Lifford who are trying to use nets on the river, on two occasions they have been caught by staff who recovered the nets, but did not begin proceedings against the youths because of their age, staff suspect that these youths are being directed by older men in the background. Consultations An updated schedule of Regulations in development and consultations is attached for discussion by the Board members. The Board should be aware that elections in Northern Ireland continue to slow the regulatory process. Board members also have a copy of a newly developed Loughs Agency Trout strategy which, if the Board is content, will be the subject of a stakeholder consultation. Proposed Jim Wilson Seconded Winston Patterson Health and Safety
Since the last Board meeting there has been 2 accidents and a series of near miss incidents as described earlier on. The accidents involving Roly Wysner and Richard Phelan will be investigated. Fish Counters 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Faughan 79 38 191 258-31 -16 48 Finn 308 37 672 128 155 98 177 Sion Mills 8 1126 1173 109 883 70 388 Roe 37 346 567 108 36-6 134 Corrick 23 0 166 65 3 16 - Newry Omagh 74 12 87 19-41 41 38 Enforcement Actions In 2011 so far, Agency staff have dealt with 6 rod related offences, and seizures. Agency protection staff have also seized 30 illegal nets, 1 boat, as well as various other items including a fish trap, knives, hatchet and batons. Staff have dealt with 20 pollution incidents, and taken 6 sets of statutory samples. The seizures are illustrated on the map below;
Environmental Issues Board members have been copied with some recent survey work carried out by Agency staff. These include pioneering work carried out in relation to Water Framework Directive compliance monitoring and a survey of populations of Smelt in the River Foyle. Arthur Niven in particular has put in sterling work in new fields with innovative techniques. Corporate Services John Pollock, Director of Corporate Services provided the Board with the following report; Financial Statements and Audit The 2008 and 2009 financial statements have been signed by the C&Ags North and South now at design and print stage. Last Audit Committee meeting was held on 31 st March 2011, the next meeting is scheduled for 22 nd June 2011. NIAO have commenced the audit on the 2010 accounts and the Board will be advised of their findings when they are. Corporate Governance Risk management meeting was held on 20 th April 2011 with the next meeting scheduled for 15 th June 2011. Copies of the updated risk register will be circulated when it becomes. NSMC The next NSMC Sectoral meeting is due to take place /June 2011. Working Group meeting has been arranged for 19 th 2011. Staffing There are currently no vacancies within the Agency. Annual Report 2010 Annual Report has been provided to the auditors and Sponsor Departments and the Agency are seeking Board approval for this to be forwarded to the Sponsor Departments. Proposed Denis Haughey Seconded Jacqui McConville Pensions Discussions ongoing with the Departments of Finance and Revenues North and South. An economic appraisal is currently
being drafted considering 3 options, do nothing, upgrade current scheme or join the North South Pension Scheme. This will be submitted to the Sponsor Departments and the Departments of Finance by the end of 2011. Advisory Forum Next meeting scheduled for September 2011. Advice has been sought from the Sponsor Departments to extend the term of the existing Advisory Forum. Response awaited. 7. Tain Walking Festival Post Event Report This item was covered in the Director of Developments Board report under agenda item 6. 8. Mid Term Review of Angling Development Action Plan Gerard Mills, Director of Development asked if this item could be shelved to the next Board meeting. All agreed. 9. Marine Tourism Strategy Review Carlingford Gerard Mills, Director of Development asked if this item could be shelved to the next Board meeting. All agreed. 10. Fish in Rivers Classification Report John McCartney, Director of Conservation and Protection provided the Board with the above report from Arthur Niven and advised that the Agency had pioneered this and Loughs Agency are at the forefront once again. 11. Smelt Baseline Survey John McCartney, Director of Conservation and Protection provided the Board with the above report and advised that the Agency had pioneered this report and had brought in partners from Inland Fisheries Ireland. Jim Wilson praised Loughs Agency staff for their work on the above reports and advised that their work had been recognised far and wide. 12. A.O.B
Trip on MMV Ostrea At the end of the meeting Board Members were taken out on the MMV Ostrea and were given a presentation by Ciarán McGonigle on the surveys currently being undertaken by the vessel. 13. Date and Venue of Next Meeting The next meeting of the Board will be held on Wednesday 6 th July 2011 at Loughs Agency Headquarters, Prehen.