Dan Boyle
Ceist:88 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his plans to stop the practice of net fishing of salmon. [22145/02]
Written Answers. - Fisheries Protection.
I have no plans to stop the practice of net fishing of salmon. My Department's policy is to preserve the salmon resource in its own right and for the coastal communities that it helps to support.
In recent years my predecessors introduced a range of measures to conserve salmon stocks including confining the drift net season to the months June and July and the introduction of a quota system for all commercial salmon fishermen. I have asked the National Salmon Commission to review the effectiveness of the measures in place for salmon conservation and make recommendations to me for 2003 and beyond, as they see fit.
I can assure the Deputy that I will consider, as a matter of priority, any recommendations received for the conservation of our salmon stocks.