Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 April 2018
1150. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when salmon fishing licences will be issued to those that were not part of the salmon hardship fishing group and have been waiting for the recovery of stocks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15612/18]
View answerCommercial fishing licences issue each year in respect of Rivers and estuaries which have harvestable surpluses and where such fisheries exist. Harvest fisheries are only permitted on individual rivers which are sufficiently exceeding their individual conservation limit and in estuaries where all contributing rivers are also exceeding their conservation limits.
Management is based on the fact that each of Ireland's 147 salmon rivers, river sections etc. has a genetically unique stock of fish. The conservation limit is the number of adult spawning fish required to sustain a healthy population in the individual river Management advice from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is supported by the annual assessments by, and advice from, the Standing Scientific Committee comprised of scientists from a range of organisations.
In light of the scientific advice of the Salmon Standing Scientific Committee for the 2018 season and determined by IFI as ensuring sustainable exploitation and avoiding indiscriminate harvesting in line with the conservation imperative, 105 licences are available for issue to commercial fishermen in those fishery districts where waters are open for harvest. The Commercial fishing season opens on 12 May.
The Control of Fishing for Salmon Order, S.I. 83 of 2018 regulates the issue of commercial salmon fishing licences for the 2018 season. The licences will be allocated on the basis of the criteria provided for in the Order. I am providing a copy of the Order for the Deputy's information.
In 2007, the indiscriminate mixed stock fishery at sea was closed for conservation reasons.
