Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 21 Nov 2001

Vol. 544 No. 4

Written Answers. - Salmon Fishing.

Eamon Gilmore

Ceist:

69 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to claims made by a person (details supplied) that Ireland was standing in the way of salmon restoration in Europe; his views on the comments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28922/01]

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

134 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if he will agree to Ireland partaking in the buy out scheme to stop coastal drift net fishing; and if he will join the Faeroes, Greenland, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in adopting this scheme. [29205/01]

Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources (Mr. Fahey):

I propose to take Questions Nos. 69 and 134 together.

I am fully aware of the views of the chairman of the North Atlantic Salmon Fund, Mr. Orri Vigfusson, regarding commercial drift net fishery for salmon. The North Atlantic Salmon Fund is an Icelandic-based voluntary organisation, mainly financed by private donations from individuals and groups. As a lobby group, NASF works to conserve and restore North Atlantic salmon stocks by focusing in particular on voluntary quota buy-outs with commercial salmon fishermen through a mix of public and private funding.

The fund has periodically brokered annual compensation agreements with Greenland, Faroes and Icelandic salmon fishermen with mixed results. It is lobbying for the closure and buy-out of commercial salmon net fishing in Ireland with matching public funding.

There have been discussions at ministerial and departmental level with Mr. Vigfusson who is campaigning intensively for a voluntary compensation scheme for the entire Irish commercial salmon sector. He has been advised of our current salmon conservation strategies including the significant restrictions in place since 1996 on the commercial salmon sector, the ongoing work of the National Salmon Commission and Government support for developing pilot set aside schemes in individual catchments. Mr Vigfusson is clearly convinced that the key to restoring salmon stocks lies in ending the commercial exploitation of salmon through voluntary buy-out. He is entitled to his view but the reality is that international experience has been mixed and there are many factors including pollution and climate change which are having profoundly negative impacts on salmon stocks. Regrettably, Mr. Vigfusson's campaign has led to excessive raising of expectation around the coast about large amounts of compensation. The debate on future strategies for the Irish salmon resource has been clouded and confused as a result. There is no question of a bonanza on the cards, nor is it clear that a national buy-out scheme would be cost effective or deliver real results. We need to focus on the shared objective of restoring salmon stocks through effective conservation and management strategies which respect the interests of all legitimate players in salmon.

In that context, additional conservation measures will be put in place for 2002 and my Department is working intensively with the Salmon Commission and the regional fishery boards to finalise proposals informed by results of the tagging programme this year. Neither the angling nor the commercial sector can be relieved of its obligation to reduce catches of salmon stocks at risk.