Vol. 483 No. 3
102 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the progress, if any, which has been made in the establishment of the catchment area committees as recommended in the Salmon Task Force report. [20423/97]
As I announced in September, I have given the go-ahead to the development of six pilot fisheries catchment projects around the country. These will bring together local fisheries, tourism, angling, industry and farming interests to plan comprehensive strategies for the catchment area, such as fishing activity, water quality, pollution prevention, protection of fish life, conservation of habitats and angling development. I have asked the Central and Regional Fisheries Boards to take the lead in facilitating consultations between the various interested local groups, with a view to formulating local catchment plans to cater for the specific needs of each catchment area.
Central to the salmon management task force report's recommendations on catchment committees was its emphasis on co-operation, and this is fundamental also to my approach. By involving all the relevant players in each area, I aim to build on the hard-won consensus on future directions for salmon management that constitutes one of the strengths of the task force report. The immediate practical initiative of the pilot catchment projects will also critically inform and reinforce the development of a national catchment management strategy, in the medium-term.
