Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 January 2024
55. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if a series of matters (details supplied) will be taken into account rather than introducing a brown tag regime on the Roughty River in Kilgarvan; if a person from his Department will meet with an organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56295/23]
View answerIn December of 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. This is based on the individual annual assessments of Ireland's salmon rivers carried out by the independent Technical Expert Group on Salmon (TEGOS) in conjunction with Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI).
Every year, each of Ireland's more than 140 genetically distinct salmon stocks, including in the Roughty, is assessed by the independent TEGOS Group. TEGOS is comprised of scientists from a range of organisations and use data averaged over 5 years to ensure that a "good" or "bad" year does not disproportionately impact its evidence-based assessments. These assessments support the annual management advice given by IFI which enables the implementation of legislation for the management of salmon for the coming year.
The primary determinant of facilitating fishing is the availability of a harvestable surplus above the individual river's conservation limit (CL) which is the number of adult spawning fish required to maintain a viable population above safe biological limits as scientifically established.
TEGOS have determined through scientific assessment of the Roughty stock that there is a modest harvestable surplus available for the 2024 angling season (+247), however the size of the surplus above the conservation limit (CL) gives rise to a risk of over-exploitation of stocks. Therefore, it was and is considered necessary to introduce a Brown Gill Tag system on the river to conserve stocks and to monitor angling quotas while ensuring that river-based quotas are not exceeded. The facilitating of a fully open harvestable fishery on the Roughty, either for angling or commercial means, in the current circumstances would be irresponsible, detrimental to the river's biodiversity and ecological balance and run counter to the conservation imperative.
The status of the Roughty stock for 2024 is given legislative effect in the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2023 which came into operation on 1 January 2024, following the completion of a 30-day public consultation process. In setting out annual fisheries legislation, Minsters since 2006, have consistently acted in line with the Government decision that salmon management is aligned with scientific advice. Consequently, the Roughty is open with a requirement for Brown Tags based on the best available current scientific advice. The status of the salmon stocks in the River Roughty will again be reviewed in annual scientific assessments later this year for the 2025 fishing season.
IFI, as the State Body with responsibility for the protection, management, conservation, promotion, marketing and development of the inland fisheries resource, may be best placed to discuss these issues with the Anglers' Club, who may wish to make contact with the IFI.
