asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he considers it fair to traditional salmon net fishermen to shorten the season by a week especially as the end of the season is the most beneficial.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Salmon Fishery Season.
34.
The bye-law providing for certain closures of the various fishing seasons is of an emergency character and was made as a conservancy measure in the long-term interests of the salmon fishing industry and the people depending on it for a living. I think the Deputy will find that in general the periods prescribed will come at a time when there is a tendency for the numbers of salmon running to decline rapidly. That is, however, an important time for escapement of potential spawners.
35.
andMr. Farrell asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he is aware of the serious consequences of the curtailment of the Dundalk Bay net fishermen's salmon season; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
36.
andMr. Farrell asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he is aware of the serious consequences of the curtailment of the Boyne net fishermen's salmon season; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 36 together.
The bye-law providing for certain closures of the various fishing seasons is of an emergency character and was made as a conservancy measure in the long-term interests of the salmon fishing industry and the people depending on it for a living. I think the Deputies will find that in general the periods prescribed will come at a time when there is a tendency for the numbers of salmon running to decline rapidly. That is, of course, also an important time for escapement of potential spawners.
With regard to the reply to Question No. 36, is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the Boyne net fishermen were asked for a voluntary cut in their fishing week, that they had agreed to what is equivalent to a 10 per cent reduction of the total fishing season, and now they are being cut almost a week of the best fishing period of the year? Does the Parliamentary Secretary not think this is unreasonable?
This measure was foreshadowed in the Press announcement in early May, 1973, when the order dealing with the control of salmon was introduced. It was done in the interests of salmon conservancy and, for the reasons set out in the answer to Questions Nos. 35 and 36, I think it was necessary and essential. The cutback in any single area is not too great and, while I have the greatest sympathy with the fishermen in the areas referred to by the Deputy, who met me to discuss this question, I regret it is not possible to vary the regulation during the current year.
Surely the Parliamentary Secretary is not suggesting that this cut at the end of the season in relation to the Boyne fishery is being done in the interests of conservation? The spawning fish would have all gone up the river quite some time before 7th August and the only fish going up in the period in question are small fish.
That is not so. The Deputy's assertion that the spawning fish would have all gone up the river may not be altogether correct.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary state if any fishermen other than those on the Boyne have voluntary stopped fishing to the same extent?
I have not got that information.
I had two questions down and I should like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary who has stated that the period was short in all instances does he not agree that in relation to the reply to Question No. 35 the bye-law deprives the Dundalk Bay net fishermen of six of the salmon season's best fishing weeks and does he not agree that this is a savage cut and will result in a very drastic reduction in the income of the fishermen concerned? Because of the exceptional length of the period of the cut in this case I would ask him to reconsider the matter.
I do not agree that it was a savage cut. I can say to the Deputy that several representations from his benches were made to the Department with a view to introducing conservancy measures of this nature.
The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.