The Minister for the Marine, Mr Ahern, has appointed a "consortium" of consultants to undertake his promised review of inland fisheries.
Three groups will undertake the "root and branch" review, which was announced by the junior marine minister, Mr John Browne, earlier this year.
The groups are Farrell Grant Sparks Consulting, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science and the National Institute for Regional and Spatial Analysis at Maynooth University.
Mr Ahern has also appointed an independent steering group to oversee the review, comprising Mr Colm McCarthy, from DKM Economic Consultants, Mr David Mackey, from Elliot and Company Ltd, and Mr Michael Guilfoyle, assistant secretary at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.
The review is to be completed in two stages over six months. Mr Ahern said yesterday he expected the first stage to be completed by the end of February 2004.
