Vol. 400 No. 2
24 Mrs. Taylor-Quinn asked the Minister for the Marine if he will outline the ground on which he decided to introduce emergency measures to conserve sea trout stocks along the coast between Achill Head and Galway Bay and in rivers flowing into the sea between those areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Concern has been expressed to me for some time about the decline in the stocks of sea trout running into a number of river systems in the west and a co-operative research programme was instituted this year to ascertain the reasons for this, as I indicated in my reply to Question No. 35 on 13 February last.
A recent scientific report to me on the results of research to date indicated that the problem was continuing this year and made a strong recommendation that fishing for sea trout be discontinued for the time being in order to protect the future spawning stock. It was on that basis that I introduced my emergency conservation measure on 11 June.
