I thank the Senator for submitting this Commencement matter for discussion. I acknowledge the important role that fishing and angling play in Ballina's tourism. IFI is the State agency responsible for the protection, management and conservation of Ireland's inland fisheries and sea angling resources. It manages salmon stocks on an individual river basis, as each of Ireland's salmon rivers has its own genetically unique stock of salmon. IFI is supported in its management role by a statutorily independent standing scientific committee, SSC, for salmon comprising scientists from IFI, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, the Loughs Agency, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Marine Institute, the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute of Northern Ireland and other State bodies and third level institutions.
The SSC estimates the number of salmon likely to return to each river in the next fishing season based on estimates of salmon runs over the most recent five years. Each river has an individual conservation limit, which is essentially the number of salmon required to spawn to maintain a healthy population. If the estimate of returning salmon is above this limit, salmon from that individually genetic river population may be harvested commercially or by rod and line. The SSC's independent advice to lFl underpins the management decisions and advice of IFI as regards all aspects of the angling and commercial season for salmon on an individual river basis.
In 2006, the Government affirmed its commitment to manage the wild salmon fishery in line with the scientific advice from 2007 onwards in the interests of conservation of stocks. International best practice for the management of Atlantic salmon requires the adoption of the precautionary approach and the cessation of indiscriminate mixed stock fisheries. Since 2007, the harvest of salmon by commercial and recreational, that is, angling, means has been restricted to those stocks of rivers that are meeting their conservation limits.
Fisheries are only considered in rivers where the estimated returns are above the conservation limit for the river. I am advised by IFI that a risk analysis is undertaken on any estimate of returns expected to be above the conservation limit. The individual river management strategy is based on the fact that each of Ireland's salmon rivers has its own unique stock of salmon that migrates to sea as juveniles and returns to the same river in adulthood to spawn and create the next generation of fish exclusive to that river. Fisheries are only considered in rivers where the estimated returns are above the conservation limit for each river. In that regard, it is not biologically or environmentally sustainable to redistribute genetically distinct surplus stocks outside their native rivers due to the conservation imperative to avoid an impact on or a dilution of existing stocks that are above their conservation limits.
Stocks within individual rivers that have a surplus are distributed among the established stakeholders. For rivers on which there is both angling and commercial fisheries, the surplus is distributed via a district committee on which anglers and commercial fishermen are represented. This distribution only happens where there is a harvestable surplus.
The model and processes used by the SSC are recognised internationally as best practice. Delegations from a number of countries have visited IFI and the SSC to examine and seek to learn from the Irish approach to salmon management. The North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation also recognises Ireland as a leader in this area.
Wild salmon is a valuable natural resource and the value of rod-caught fish to local and rural communities is substantial in terms of the benefit to the local economy from income associated with anglers staying in the locality, making purchases from tackle shops, dining in restaurants and visiting local public houses. The high value of tourism angling, highlighted by IFI and Bord Fáilte, is based primarily on participation in the activity by visiting anglers and the excellence of the local angling resource. This activity-based value was borne out in the most comprehensive study of recreational angling in Ireland ever undertaken, which was commissioned by lFl. There is no evidence to suggest that the availability of wild salmon on local menus augments the attractiveness of a local area to potential angler visitors.
At a time when salmon stocks generally have declined, the River Moy has a surplus available for harvest by rod and line. No commercial fisheries exist on the river. The Moy and the hinterland it serves are the envy of many communities whose rivers have no harvestable surplus and where no salmon can be retained by anglers or no fishing is permitted. There are still a number of commercial salmon fisheries in Ireland, including in Mayo. These are primarily draft net and snap nets, and each of these legal fisheries provides sustainably harvested wild salmon available for purchase by restaurants and hotels.
All rod-caught fish are blue tagged so that anglers can retain the fish, but the sale of rod-caught salmon is expressly prohibited by law for good reason. Salmon are an important wild fish resource. In this regard, anglers are permitted to retain up to ten salmon personally in a year and pay a fee of up to €100 for the licence and tags. These fish cannot be sold on the basis that incentivising the sale of rod-caught salmon creates a commercial rod fishery that would be counterproductive to the long-standing conservation imperative supported by all anglers who are involved in the activity for sport and leisure reasons. Facilitating the sale of rod-caught salmon from a specific river could augment the potential for an increase in illegal salmon fishing, putting pressure on rivers that do not have a surplus.
The State's efforts are concentrated on seeking to recover the stocks. A return to increasing sales of wild salmon, other than those from fisheries scientifically assessed as commercially sustainable, would unravel much of the State's investment of €30 million in the salmon hardship scheme, which is aimed at conservation of stocks.
The rod catch on the River Moy has declined in recent years. In 2016, it was 5,775 salmon compared with 7,075 in 2015. Having regard to the negative trend generally in the returns of wild salmon to Irish rivers, a precautionary approach is required and, as such, it would be unwise and irresponsible to introduce any measure or derogation that could lead to a significant increase in angler exploitation of the wild salmon resource.
Salmon angling as an activity is a valuable tourism resource. Any proposal to transform the activity into a commercial fishing venture and encourage anglers to catch their "quota" is not ecologically sound. Wild Atlantic salmon is listed as endangered and is generally protected by responsible anglers as well as fishery protection staff. As the Minister of State with responsibility for the sector, I am anxious to ensure that salmon are protected in all rivers and that no measures are put in place that would have a deleterious effect on the salmon stocks in any river, including the Moy.
