Donegal South-West): Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil do na Seanadoírí Ross, Norris agus Daly as ucht an méid a bhí le rá acu.
Is doígh nach n-aontaíonn gach duine leis an méid a bhí á rá ach, ag am céanna, tá sé tábhachtach go dtiocfaimís isteach anseo agus tionscal tábhachtach mar seo a phlé.
The preservation and enhancement of our wild salmon and sea trout fisheries and the proper exploitation of this valuable natural resource is a key policy objective. A variety of conservation, protection and management strategies are in place and are under continuous review to ensure that this objective is realised. All the reports indicate that 1993 was a good year for wild salmon stocks and that strategies implemented in recent years to conserve, rehabilitate and protect stock levels are paying dividends.
A considerable number of legislative controls are already in place and these are designated to ensure that the maximum number of salmon return from their feeding grounds at sea to their breeding grounds in fresh water by restricting the fishing effort of commercial salmon fishermen at sea. These controls include restrictions on the number of licences made available to fish for salmon, no fishing at weekends and at times when breeding takes place, restrictions on the maximum lengths and depths of nets and the material allowed to be used in them, extensive sanctuary areas where no fishing is allowed at any time and an absolute prohibition on fishing for salmon beyond the 12 mile limit.
It is important to note the varying degrees of weather during the salmon season. If the weather is too calm the nets do not drift and if the sea is too heavy the nets rope. A natural type of conservation exists in addition to the legislative means used for conservation purposes.
The Department of the Marine is conducting a review of all aspects of salmon fishing with particular reference to drift netting. We would like to see fishermen and drift net fishermen, who have no other source of income, working each day in a calm environment, but in order for this to happen it will be necessary for all parties to agree a strategy. This situation develops every year during the months of June and July and now is the time to do something about it. I will recommend to the Minister for the Marine that all parties — the regional boards, the fishermen and officials from the Department of the Marine — should enter into discussions in ample time for the next drift-net fishing season.
I have no doubt there will be full cooperation in relation to improvements in the existing regulations. Enforcement of the salmon fishing regulations has been stepped up considerably in recent years. Some people might say it is too severe, but others feel it is not severe enough. Extreme views are held by many people, but there is room for compromise and manoeuvre. The regional fisheries boards, which have the primary responsibility for ensuring compliance with the regulations, have been equipped with a number of fast patrol boats specifically for this work. The Department is at present examining additional ways in which the boards' capability can be further enhanced with the benefit of significant levels of EU Structural Funding being provided for angling tourism.
The Naval Service enforces the prohibition on salmon fishing outside the 12 mile limit on a year round basis as part of its general enforcement of EU regulations. It also dedicates its two fast inshore patrol vessels full-time to aiding the fisheries boards in enforcing the salmon regulations within the 12 mile limit during the summer months when the main salmon run is taking place.
The decline in sea trout stocks is a cause for considerable concern and measures to address this decline are being further enhanced for 1994. A number of sea trout fisheries in the west have experienced declines in recent years with a severe collapse in stocks in 1990. A scientific working group was established in 1991 to co-ordinate the national sea trout research programme, evaluate the results and recommend action to halt the decline of stocks. Its report for 1993 will be published shortly.
To date the research effort has not identified a single definitive cause for the decline in sea trout numbers. Various views may be held by many people, including Senator Ross and Senator Norris, but I must also take seriously Senator Daly's views because he was an experienced Minister for the Marine. We must accept there is no definite cause but we must try to establish one.
