The salmon review group was set up in September 1986 by the then Minister for Fisheries and published their report in November 1987. The group recommended the lifting of the ban on the use of monofilament netting for salmon fishing. They made this recommendation in the light of the fact that the law could not be effectively implemented as far as large boats were concerned, and that the fisheries protection officers could only apprehend small boats fishing close to the shore.
That is the nub of the problem facing us today and for many years past. The small inshore fishermen are being victimised whereas the large trawlers fishing long distances from the shore are able to use monofilament nets and thus exploit our salmon stocks without being apprehended by the fisheries protection officers. It is a case of the big man being able to get away with blue murder while the small inshore fishermen have to pay the price for the big man's sins. Entire coastal communities have been harassed and hounded during the past number of years because they use the only method of fishing which enables them to make a living — monofilament net fishing. The review group admitted to that fact in their report, and it is a disgrace that the Minister will not accept their recommendations.
The salmon review group were quite representative. They were a high powered group, the chairman being the Secretary of the Department of the Marine, Mr. Fionán Ó Muircheartaigh and the other members included the chief officer of the Central Fisheries Board; a chief superintendent of the Garda Síochána; the commander of the Irish Naval Service; an inspector and scientific adviser from the Department of the Marine; a principal officer from the inland fisheries section of the Department of the Marine; an assistant principal officer from the Department of Justice acting as an observer; an inspector and an engineer from the Department of the Marine; a principal officer from the wildlife service of the Office of Public Works; and another assistant principal from the inland fisheries section of the Department of the Marine together with an inspector of fisheries from the Department of the Marine — all people of high repute and standing. They recommended in November 1987, that drift net salmon fishermen should be allowed to use monofilament nets, yet nothing has been done since that date to implement their recommendations.
I have come into this House on numerous occasions and have advocated strongly during debates and at Question Time that the findings of the group be implemented. I have been greeted by a wall of silence both from the Minister for the Marine and the Minister of State at that Department, who gives the impression they could not care less. I would like to ask them who advised the experts who drew up this report?
I raised this matter on the Order of Business yesterday. The Taoiseach and the Minister for the Marine were highly offended that I dared do such a thing. I know we have had a recent tragedy but the problem has been with us for some time. The expert group recommended a solution two and a half years ago but nothing has been done in that regard. In recent months, six people have died on the south coast and I am saying they died specifically because nothing has been done to implement the findings of the report of the salmon review group.