Vol. 550 No. 4
159 Mr. Noonan asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if he has had recent meetings with representatives of the North Atlantic Salmon Fund; if so, the outcome of these meetings; if he has considered their proposals with regard to the current fishing procedures employed for salmon in Irish waters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8918/02]
I refer the Deputy to my reply to Questions Nos. 69 and 134 on 21 November 2001 in which I outlined the discussions at ministerial and departmental level with Mr. Orri Vigfusson who is chairman of the North Atlantic Salmon Fund, NASF. As I explained in that reply, the NASF, as a lobby group, works to conserve and restore salmon stocks by focusing in particular on voluntary quota buy-outs with commercial salmon fishermen through a mix of public and private funding.
I am committed to a sustainable commercial salmon fishery having as its central focus quality and value rather than volume. Taking all factors into account, however, it remains my firm policy objective to reduce the commercial salmon catch while enhancing the price dividend for fishermen through quality and marketing strategies.
It is clear from the scientific advice of the Marine Institute that reductions in overall fishing effort are required in order to sustain and rebuild salmon stocks on a fishery district basis. Accordingly, I have recently announced the introduction of quotas for the taking of salmon by commercial fishing engines on a fishery district basis. The quota system will come into operation for the 2002 and later fishing seasons. These proposals have been unanimously adopted by the national salmon commission.
The introduction of district quotas to reduce the level of commercial catch this year will not be accompanied by compensation. I have spelt out my reservations about national buy-out as a cost efficient workable instrument. It is clear that buy-out is most attractive to those who take few salmon. It is not an effective means of achieving the objective of a restoration of salmon stocks. Accordingly, I have ruled out buy-outs as the way forward. I believe that the focus on this issue has been an unhelpful distraction and the raising of expectations about bonanzas has not served the interests of the sector or indeed the resource. The introduction of quota to achieve catch reductions is in my view the best instrument available to achieve the objective of a restoration of salmon stocks.
I will continue to support, subject to available Exchequer funding, local catchment based setaside proposals with matching funding. In other words, the only context for incentivisation schemes will still be through an agreed local scheme involving commercial fishermen and all other stakeholders who stand to benefit from increased escapement. I have urged local groups and the regional fisheries boards to develop proposals for such schemes.
