Eel be sorry: Mary White bashes Eamon Ryan

[He3]

Try telling the eels.

[islands]

Don't the ESB own all the eels in Irish rivers, technically, or something daft like that

Cue jokes about electric eels, swimming against the current, etc.

[He3]

You are mixing them up with the Queen of England and her swans

[Ah Well]

You would think that the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food would be in charge of inland fisheries, but it's actually only sea fisheries that he's in charge of.

Now I didn't know that ... more nonsense

[He3]

Rational planning is not our forte.

[He3]

This row seems to have slipped off the national dinner table.

[He3]

On Prime Time as an election issue now

[LooseCannon]

Michael Viney, (Irish Times columnist, Saturdays - essential reading if you don't know him) mentioned this in an article. Basically it would cost more to set up and monitor the 400 eel fishermen than to ban it and pay compensation to them.
Makes economic sense.
Eel populations have been in freefall - they need every help they can get. The biggest problem are hydro dams apparently but getting rid of nets/ fishing should help at least.

[LooseCannon]

Ban or no ban, it will be a long way back for eel stocks - The Irish Times - Sat, May 09, 2009

... and here is said article - you can contrast it with my recollected summary