A review of Inland Fisheries legislation, including the 1959 Fisheries (Consolidation) Act, has recently commenced in my Department and this process will require detailed examination of and legal views on a large number of provisions.
It is not possible to say at this early stage what revisions and amendments will emerge from the process. However, a comprehensive Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) will be prepared and published when preparation of the Bill is completed.
I can advise the Deputy, however, that the imperative to continue the conservation and protection of salmon spawning escapement will be paramount in the context of legislative review, particularly in light of the overall widespread decline in Atlantic salmon stocks over recent years.