Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 April 2007
176 Dr. Cowley asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if his Department will compensate the fish merchants who have made their living from the purchasing of salmon; his views on whether these businesses are essentially finished due to the stopping of drift net fishing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15427/07]
View answerThe Salmon Hardship Scheme, which was published earlier this year, is intended to provide a measure of relief to each individual fisherman in line with the level of hardship likely to be experienced based on the recent catch history of commercial fishing licence holders. Payments under the hardship scheme are available to all those who held a commercial salmon fishing licence in 2006.
The Government is also putting in place a fund of €5 million towards a community support scheme, the focus of which should primarily be those communities where commercial salmon fishing has been a well-established activity and where its withdrawal demonstrably impacts on the economic and social fabric of the area. Details are being finalised at present with a view to the publication of details of that scheme in the coming weeks. There is no scheme for direct payments in cases of the type covered in the question.
