Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 March 2023
184. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 167 of 12 May 2022, his plans for snap-net fishing on the River Suir in 2023 following its closure a number of years ago; and if his Department has sought engagement with fishermen in the area since it was suggested in May 2022. [11530/23]
View answerI refer the Deputy to the response to Question No. 179 of 24 January last.
The status of each of Ireland's more than 140 salmon rivers, including the river Suir, will again be reviewed later in 2023 as part of the annual independent scientific assessment of each river to inform regulation for the 2024 season.
Question 179 of 24 January 2023
To ask the Minister for the Environment; Climate and Communications if he will outline his intentions regarding the demand by fishermen for an urgent need for a review of the regulations governing snap net fishing on the rivers in the south-east of Ireland; if he has considered the submissions and correspondence from a person (details supplied) who represents the fishermen in this regard; if he will make the policy changes requested; if he will meet the person and his group to discuss their concerns and their policy suggestions; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Reply
Each year a suite of secondary legislation – including the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations (WSSTTSRs) – is made by my Department to set out the fisheries management regime for the following year. Prior to finalising the annual legislation, a 30 day public consultation process is undertaken which affords an opportunity for all stakeholders to make a written submission outlining their views on the proposals. The representative of the snap net fishermen made his submission within that process and the submission was carefully considered before the legislation was finalised.
The management of each of Ireland’s more than 140 salmon rivers, derives from the individual conservation needs of the rivers as each has a genetically unique stock of salmon The legislation is based on individual annual assessments of each river, including the Suir, Nore and Barrow where historically Snap Net fishing has taken place. These individual annual stock assessments are carried out by the independent Technical Expert Group on Salmon (TEGOS). This scientific assessment supports the annual management advice of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) setting out the status of each river (open to harvest, open to catch and release angling or closed to all fishing) for the following fishing season.
The Chair of TEGOS has previously engaged with the snap net representative in relation to similar previous submissions. I can request that officials of the Department and IFI engage again with this group and update me.
In line with the conservation imperative the determining factor as to whether any river may open to fishing is the availability of a harvestable surplus above the river’s conservation limit regardless of the harvest method.
