Vol. 493 No. 4
50 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the availability in other EU members states of compensation schemes on a set-aside basis to drift and draft salmon fishermen; if he will open negotiations with the relevant representative organisations with a view to introducing a voluntary compensation buy out scheme targeted at salmon driftnetters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15998/98]
The salmon conservation and management strategies to which I am giving priority are designed to secure the future of all legitimate salmon interests, including commercial netsmen. There are no plans currently for the State to fund buy out or set-aside schemes for salmon netsmen nor do I have any proposals at this time to introduce such schemes.
I have no difficulty with the concept of voluntary buy out schemes directly between commercial fishermen and private fishery interests who wish to develop angling.
A recent application was made under the Tourism Angling Measure TAM, to fund the setting aside of commercial licences for six years in a particular catchment was not successful on the basis of EU Commission advice that such proposals are not eligible under the present scheme. There are no other EU funding mechanisms available for set-aside schemes in the salmon fishery.
