asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the steps he proposes to take to protect the interests of the traditional salmon fishermen.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Protection of Salmon Fishermen.
6.
I am not aware of any circumstances within my control which are adverse to the interests of the traditional salmon fishermen. If the Deputy wishes to state the problem specifically in a separate question I shall be prepared to deal with it.
Surely the Parliamentary Secretary is aware that all of the expert advice available to us indicates the need to do something to conserve our dwindling salmon stocks and that if the stocks dwindle the livelihood of the traditional salmon fishermen is in danger?
The Deputy, I am sure, is aware that I have made two orders in particular which tend towards the conservancy of salmon stocks, one in May and the other quite recently, which curtail the length of the season and I am satisfied that the regulations made by me will suffice for the present.
Surely the Parliamentary Secretary is aware that his most recent order does nothing whatever to protect the livelihood of the traditional salmon fishermen, that on the contrary it is causing greater hardship by shortening the season at a time when the fishing is most lucrative for him and at the same time lets in newcomers into net salmon fishing especially? This is entirely wrong and the Parliamentary Secretary must surely see the necessity to rectify the position.
The Deputy is speaking with two tongues. He is saying that adequate conservancy measures are not being taken and when conservancy measures were taken quite recently he criticises them. I am sure the Deputy will have some difficulty in defining the term "traditional salmon fishermen".
Surely the Parliamentary Secretary is aware——
I have given the Deputy a lot of latitude.
——that my interest is in protecting the traditional net salmon fisherman and not those who have come into the industry in recent years to exploit it. That is my interest. There is nothing contradictory in it.
The Deputy is making a statement.
Is it in order to ask one question regarding the fishermen? I would ask the Parliamentary Secretary if he will take a month off in February and give an extra fortnight in mid-August to the Youghal fishermen and those in the hinterland around it?
I will bear the Deputy's suggestion in mind when drawing up the 1974 order.
Deputy Cunningham.
Arising from that reply, what will happen——
I have called Deputy Cunningham.
I should like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary if he has any machinery in his Department to deal with pollution and the problems of pollution as far as salmon conservancy is concerned.
The Deputy is expanding the scope of the question.
The question deals with salmon conservancy.
The Deputy is enlarging it.
While it is expanding the scope of the question, I may say that the Department is very actively engaged in countering pollution and will continue to do so.
What are they doing?
Has the Minister the machinery? Have you used it? How many prosecutions have been taken in the last 12 months?
These are all separate questions.
They deal with conservancy.
That matter is being dealt with effectively.