asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the number of inspections carried out by naval personnel and fishery officers abroad naval vessels during the 1978 salmon season in (a) the Waterford fishery area, (b) the Lismore fishery area, and the number of prosecutions that resulted in the case of each area.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Waterford Fishery Inspections.
11.
During the 1978 salmon season the Naval Service, with the assistance of a fishery officer of my Department, inspected 11 fishing vessels in each of the fishery districts of Waterford and Lismore. As illegal fishing activities were not detected in the course of these inspections no prosecutions have arisen.
Does the Minister agree this proves that the people in the area are adhering to the law and are being victimised under recent restrictions brought in by the Minister which curtailed their fishing activities greatly?
The Deputy cannot have it both ways. He was one of the most vociferous Deputy's here in advocating that we should bring in severe restrictions to control salmon fishing in the interests of the preservation of salmon.
No, salmon poaching.
The Deputy cannot have it both ways.
These people are not breaking the law. I asked the Minister to stop the people who were fishing illegally.
The preventative measures by way of regulation, the presence of the Navy and the employment of extra fishery officers, and the general range of protection measures we have taken are having an effect in reducing the scale of illegal fishing which was allowed to continue unabated by Deputy Murphy when he was in charge of fisheries under the Coalition Government.
It was allowed to continue by the Minister for the past two years.
We have been in office for a year and a half. Immediately I took office I brought in these restrictive conservation measures designed to enable the salmon species to survive around our coasts and in our rivers and lakes.