Written Answers. - Fish Quota.
Michael Ring
Question:
274
Mr. Ring
asked the
Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources
the cutbacks which have taken place in the Bangor district of County Mayo in relation to the draft net and drift net fishing for the current season; the cutbacks which have been put in place; the quota for 2002; and the situation regarding the quota for 2003.
[13389/03]
Under the wild salmon and sea trout tagging scheme for 2002, the total allowable catch (TAC) for the Bangor district was 8,211 fish. The TAC for the same district under the scheme for 2003 is 6,202 which is a reduction of 25%.
I am advised that the chief executive officer of the North-Western Regional Fisheries Board, fol lowing recent consultation with the district committee of the Bangor district has allocated a sectoral allocation this year of 4,652 fish to the drift net sector and 1,550 to the draft net sector.
I understand that individual allocations of tags within the sectors have been based on catch returns made by fishermen over the past five years, i.e. 1998-2002.
I advise the Deputy that the standing scientific committee of the National Salmon Commission advised that there should be no fishing in the Bangor district in 2003 in order to allow the conservation limit for the area to be achieved. The National Salmon Commission, however, accepting the advice of the fisheries managers, recommended that the quota for the Bangor district in 2003 should be reduced by only 25% on last year in order to mitigate the socio-economic impact of cessation of the fishery.
Michael Ring
Question:
275
Mr. Ring
asked the
Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources
the reason he will not compensate the drift net fishermen in view of the fact that many of them have taken out loans to finance their fishing, yet are being restricted to just fishing one week of the two month season in 2003 due to the reduction in quota; and his plans to compensate the fishermen affected.
[13542/03]
On 28 April 2003, the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, signed regulations revising the wild salmon and sea trout tagging scheme for 2003. These regulations provide, inter alia, for a total allowable catch for commercial salmon fishing this year of 182,000 fish, which represents a reduction of 12% on the 2002 catch. The quota for 2003 was decided by the Minister of State on the strong advice of the National Salmon Commission, which is representative of all stakeholders in the sector, including drift net fishermen. The drift net salmon fisheries season is open for a two-month period in June and July in accordance with the conservation of salmon by-law No. 789 of 2003. The fishermen will not be restricted to only one week's fishing in the two-month season.
I assure the Deputy that I am aware of the concerns of commercial fishermen in coastal communities who depend on the annual salmon run as a source of income. as well as for the continuation of traditional fishing methods passed down through the generations. I will ensure, in so far as is possible, that these concerns are fairly addressed. The clear and robust scientific evidence available to me points to a decline in the salmon stock over recent years, however. The Government has, over the past number of years, introduced a range of measures for the management of salmon fisheries to address this decline. The aim of the measures, which are implemented through the central and regional fisheries boards, is first and foremost to allow adequate spawning stock into our rivers through the establishment of and adherence to conservation limits. This ensures that rivers and lakes can produce juvenile salmon to the maximum of their productive potential, which in turn provides for the maximum return in the future of adult fish to our coastal waters in subsequent years.
The conservation limits are set on the advice of the National Salmon Commission's standing scientific committee. The scientific advice further warns that unless action is taken now, salmon stocks will slip to the point where there may be no longer capable of supporting a commercial fishery in the years to come. In the face of the advice available, I am sure the Deputy will accept that doing nothing is not an option. I am hopeful that if we act collectively in a responsible manner to protect the salmon resource over the short-term, we will enhance its sustainability over the longer term to the benefit of all who depend on it. I would therefore strongly urge everyone to support the quota reductions based on the scientific information and the socio-economic needs of the commercial sector. I have no proposals to compensate commercial fishermen, given that the reductions imposed this year are for the benefit of fishermen in the long-term.
