Vol. 537 No. 5
451 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the scientific standards used by her Department to determine which rivers would be included in the special areas of conservation for salmon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16688/01]
There is a very large amount of knowledge about salmon in Ireland, but more limited hard scientific data on salmon population numbers. In evaluating sites for proposal as salmon special areas of conservation under the EU Habitats Directive, my Department, having consulted widely in the matter, has used the best information available under the following headings: sites of importance because of the size of the salmon population; sites important for spring salmon, which are genetically distinct and more threatened; good geographic range, that is, rivers from around Ireland; reasonable prospects regarding water quality and physical condition; and where appropriate, significant presence in sites of other habitats or species listed under the Habitats Directive.
