I announced some months ago changes in the board's marine credit plan. The main changes were a reduction in the deposit for vessels between 66 and 90 feet and an extension of the repayment period for loans for these vessels from eight to 12 years. Another feature was an increase in the rate of grant from 25 per cent to 50 per cent of the cost of adapting vessels to new methods of fishing. The purpose of these changes was to help to generate more work in Irish boatyards and I am pleased to be able to tell the House that these changes are having the desired effect.
A number of fishermen have recently displayed an interest in vessels in excess of 90 feet in length which do not at present come within the ambit of the marine credit plan. I have asked An Bord Iascaigh Mhara to examine the question of the extension of the plan to these vessels as a matter of urgency but before approving of such an extension I will have to be satisfied that these vessels will be capable of and used for catching fish well offshore and not operated in grounds already being fished successfully by our existing fleet.
In addition to their function, connection with the development of the fishing fleet, the board continue to operate the various advisory services to fishermen, fish processors and exporters and, much of the credit for the increased exports must be attributed to these services.
Steady progress is being made in providing improvement works where they are needed for fish landings, berthing of boats and other necessary facilities at fishing ports.
At Killybegs, proposals are in hands for the installation of a syncrolift and boat repair facilities, the provision of an auction hall and port offices, the development of the White House property, the re-siting of the oil tanks, additional dredging where needed and the building of a harbour master's house.
At Castletownbere, works this year include site development on Dinish Island for fish related and general industries, the provision there of an electricity supply, an effluent disposal unit and roads and surface drainage. The surfacing of the mainland wharf will also be undertaken and a net store and box store will be provided there.
At Howth, work is expected to commence this year on the dredging of the west side of the harbour as the initial part of a major development scheme for the harbour.
My Department have in hands also for this year proposals for development works at 29 other landing places around the coast including major works at Greencastle, Burtonport, Caherciveen, Skerries and Clogher Head.
Deputies have had ample opportunity in recent times to indulge in a wide-ranging debate on fisheries aspects of our membership of the European Communities and in particular on the proposed review of the common fisheries policy. The Government position in relation to a final agreement and to the interim arrangements for this year was made clear by me then and I do not propose to go over the same ground again here to-day. I would like to stress, however, that in the Government's view it is not a realistic proposition to press the policy of a 50-mile exclusive limit at the present time. We have at present an opportunity to secure substantial benefits for our fishermen under a system of fishing plans which can be negotiated with our partners in the Community and implemented as a national measure as an interim arrangement for 1978. Such plans will involve a special preference for Irish fishermen in our waters and will secure a reduction in fishing effort on the part of our Community partners in these waters. I am proposing to set up a working group and to invite the two fishermen's organisations, the IFO and the IFPO, to work with us in co-ordinating an agreed national approach on these plans and to supervise their operation. I must point out, however, that these arrangements have yet to be finalised but in the absence of agreement on a revised common fisheries policy my main concern must be to prevent a free-for-all situation in 1978 which would be so completely disastrous to the Irish fishing industry.
I now turn to our inland fisheries the most important of which is, of course, our salmon fisheries. The overall catch for salmon in 1977 again showed a drop on the 1976 total which was 30 per cent lower than that recorded in 1975. The market value in 1977 was maintained at a satisfactorily high level. Based on provisional figures now available the total weight of the catch for the year 1977 by all fishing methods was 1,259 metric tons, valued at £4,531,000 as compared with 1,492 metric tons, valued at £5,302,000 in 1976. These figures do not include those for sea trout which, however, are of relatively minor importance.
The estimated quantity of salmon exported in 1977 was 945 metric tons valued at £3,482,000 compared with 1,209 metric tons valued at £4,633,000 in 1976. Some of the salmon was, of course, exported in processed form which increased the export value compared with the landed value. Officers of my Department continued to keep a check on the standard of Irish salmon exported.
As to salmon fishing in general, we are now facing a very serious problem that calls for prompt and effective action. Catches which had been on a high level for quite a number of years dropped considerably in 1976 and this trend continued in 1977. Additional conservation measures were introduced in 1977 limiting the depth of drift nets and requiring all boats and nets used in salmon fishing to be numbered to correspond with the licence numbers held by the fishermen. The ban on the use of monofilament nets in salmon fishing was also reintroduced. Despite these measures, however, the stocks continued to decline due mainly to illegal fishing which has now reached alarming proportions. The various controls are being flagrantly ignored by many of the fishermen and there is clear-cut evidence that large vessels using nets grossly in excess of the maximum length permitted, and in many cases with their owners not even holding fishing licences, are taking very substantial amounts of salmon.
It is essential that the illegal fishing be stamped out if there is to be any hope of achieving the required level of escapement to freshwater. For the 1978 season, I have arranged that the funds available for the various boards of conservators will be considerably increased in order to allow them to recruit extra staff. I am also seeking the co-operation of the navy in enforcing the fishery laws at sea where the greatest damage is being done by illegal fishing. The Garda, who have always co-operated with the fishery protection staff, are also being asked to step-up their vigilance.
The work of protection and development of the fisheries in the various fishery districts rests with the boards of conservators. Apart from the enforcement of the various fishery laws which is a most difficult task, the conservators have to deal with the threat of pollution which arises from effluent discharges from industrial and agricultural sources and from town sewage. Pollution officers employed by the boards have made considerable progress in pin-pointing sources of pollution and in persuading would-be polluters to take remedial action. Where co-operation has not been forthcoming, boards have had to resort to court action and in many cases the polluters have been successfully prosecuted. With the enactment of the Water Pollution Act, 1977, which places overall responsibility for clean water on the Department of the Environment and the local authorities it is to be hoped that a new era in pollution control is dawning. The responsibility for the protection of fish and fish life will, however, continue to be the responsibility of my Department and of the boards of conservators.
On the development side, boards of conservators, often in collaboration with angling associations, continue to promote suitable work by arranging for removal of obstructions to fish movement in rivers and clearing the spawning beds for better propagation. For such situations, river improvement works grants are available to cover most of the cost. In any case in which technical advice is required, my Department give every assistance in the design and execution of the works. In addition, extensive research work with a view to conserving and developing our salmon stocks has been carried out by my Department throughout 1977 and will be intensified in 1978.
In order to bridge the growing gap between the expenses of conservation and the statutory incomes of the boards of conservators, the Exchequer grant to the Salmon Conservancy Fund has to be increased each year and £745,000 has been allocated for this purpose in 1978. By far the greater part of the grant is required to supplement the direct income of boards of conservators from the sale of licences and from fishery rates, the total of which income fails to keep pace with the steadily rising level of salaries, wages and incidental expenses.
A sum of £75,000 is included in the estimates to meet our contribution towards the expenses of the Foyle Fisheries Commission. A similar contribution is being made by the Department of Agriculture in Belfast.
In recent years the commission's operations have resulted in annual deficits. These are due to the fact that while their outgoings—principally wages—are increasing each year, revenue, by way of licence duties and profit from their commercial fishery, has not succeeded in keeping pace with the increasing expenditure.
I am very much impressed by the excellent co-operation which exists in this North/South body and I desire to record my appreciation of the excellent work being accomplished by the commission and their staff.
Provision is made in the Fisheries Vote for the payment of a substantially increased grant-in-aid of £750,000 to the Inland Fisheries Trust. This sum includes a provision for the creation of new posts and reflects the Government's confidence in the work of the trust. The trust carried out a highly successful programme of investigation and development of brown trout, coarse fishing and sea angling waters during the past year. In this connection I would like to thank the council of the trust and their staff for their dedication and hard work not just in the past year but indeed over the years.
A grant-in-aid of £11,000 to the Salmon Research Trust, which is funded jointly by my Department and Arthur Guinness Son and Co. Ltd., has been provided in the Estimates. During the year the trust continued their specialised work in relation to salmon and sea trout. I would like to pay tribute to the director and his staff for the research work carried out over the years.
Following a review of the Control of Fishing for Salmon Order, 1974. at the end of the 1977 fishing season. I considered that the exclusion by the terms of that order of certain fishermen who derived their livelihood mainly from fishing was inequitable.
Accordingly I made provision in the Control of Fishing for Salmon Order, 1977, whereby fishermen who derived their livelihood mainly from fishing and who in the opinion of the board of conservators are persons to whom a licence should be issued may be considered for the grant of a licence.
Although the work of the Electricity Supply Board in relation to fisheries is not provided for in the Fisheries Estimate I would like to express my appreciation of the excellent manner in which fisheries under their control are managed and developed.
I would now like to say a few words about a provision that is appearing for the first time in the Estimates for Inland Fisheries, namely, a sum of £250,000 in connection with the acquisition of fisheries. It is desirable that it be made clear at the outset that there is no question of our embarking on a nationalisation process which will involve the complete acquisition of all private fisheries. What is proposed is that, where a need is seen to take over a private fishery for the better management of the fisheries generally of that area or for scientific purposes, there will be no obstacle to such a course of action being taken.
This is in line with one of the recommendations of the Inland Fisheries Commission relating to the purchase of fisheries on a voluntary basis. In addition, I am proposing to take power of compulsory purchase under new legislation which is at present in course of preparation and which will shortly be brought before the House. Naturally, I would envisage that this power would be invoked only in the most exceptional case and would be subject to the owner's right of appeal and to the payment of fair compensation.
I should at this stage inform the House that my Department have recently acquired on a voluntary basis the Galway Fishery, which constitutes one of the most important private salmon and eel fisheries in the country. The management of this fishery will now be planned primarily for the benefit of the fisheries of the area but will include a rational degree of commercial utilisation. As it constitutes a new venture by my Department it will serve somewhat as a pilot scheme which will help enormously in setting our future policy in regard to the acquisition of private fisheries.
The reorganisation of the whole structure of Inland Fisheries which was recommended by the Inland Fisheries Commission is now the subject of the proposed legislation to which I have already referred and which I hope to introduce in the Dáil shortly. This legislation will make provision for the establishment of a central board and seven regional boards to replace the existing 17 boards of conservators and the Inland Fisheries Trust. The legislation will also provide for vastly increased penalties for fishery offences, for the acquisition of private fisheries and for stricter controls on sales of salmon. It is expected that the new structure will be set up by October of this year. It is my intention that the central board will have the responsibility for directing the regional boards as to their functions, duties and activities in the context of policy as laid down by the Minister for Fisheries.
With this proposed comprehensive restructuring, allied to an increased financial State commitment, I am confident that we are entering a new era in our inland fisheries administration which will in a relatively short time prove of immense benefit to our own fishermen and to tourist anglers.
I recommend this Estimate to the House.