Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 November 2006
176 Mr. Pattison asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the way the salmon surplus will be distributed following the ending of drift netting and the introduction of single stock management; if he and the Government have concerns that the salmon and other fisheries will become the preserve of vested private interests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38838/06]
View answerIt is the Government's strongly held view that our wild salmon stock is a national asset, which must be conserved and protected, as well as being exploited as a resource by us all on a sustainable basis. In future the wild salmon fishery will be managed on the basis of individual river stocks. Harvesting of salmon will be restricted to those rivers that have been identified as meeting their conservation limit in compliance with Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and wild flora and fauna, the Habitats Directive.
It is proposed that the Chief Executive Officers of the Regional Fisheries Boards, having consulted the Fishery District Committees, will decide on the allocation of the salmon quota on a river or river catchment basis in 2007 in accordance with the draft Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations for the 2007 season, which were published for consultation on 18 November 2006. The statutory consultation period continues until 17 December 2006.
