Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2015
1535. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he envisages that the estuary to the Rivers Barrow, Nore, and Suir will ever be re-opened for drift-net fishing; if not, if he will consider a voluntary buy-out scheme for current licence holders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30497/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs each of Ireland’s 143 salmon rivers has its own unique stock of salmon, Inland Fisheries Ireland manages salmon stocks by individual river based on the river's conservation limit. The salmon conservation limit (CL) is the number of spawning salmon required to maintain a sustainable population and is used to indicate the number of salmon in a river system above which a harvestable surplus can be considered. Salmon conservation limits are set similarly for all of Ireland’s salmon rivers.
IFI is supported in its management role by the statutorily independent Standing Scientific Committee (SSC) on Salmon comprising scientists from IFI, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), the Loughs Agency, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Marine Institute, the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI- Northern Ireland) other State bodies and third level institutions. IFI also carries out extensive monitoring of salmon stock status which feed into the scientific committee's assessments carried out every year.
The Barrow, Nore and Suir are the three main contributing rivers to Waterford Estuary. The SSC advice for 2015 is that the Nore had a deficit of 897 salmon below CL, the Suir had a deficit of 2762 salmon below CL and the Barrow had a deficit of 9720 salmon below CL. All three rivers remain closed for harvesting of salmon. The opening of a commercial salmon fishery can only be considered if there is a suitable surplus of salmon (in excess of conservation limit) available for harvest.
Prior to any commercial salmon fishing being permitted in the Waterford Estuary it will be necessary for all the waters in the vicinity of the fishing location to be in surplus at the same time and for genetic analysis to confirm that no other stocks are mixed in the area. If genetic assessment proves that the stocks in the area are specific to local rivers only, and that analysis shows that these stocks are all above their conservation limit with a surplus available for exploitation, consideration could be given to a commercial fishery.
Any future decision on a fishery can only be taken in this context and Ireland must be particularly careful to ensure that all national and international legislation and other obligations are met in any future management regime.
I am advised by IFI that all three rivers are currently below their individual conservation limits and therefore there is no permitted salmon /sea trout fishery in the common estuary.
The Salmon Hardship Scheme closed for applications on 31 December 2007 and ceased in 2008 and I understand that all funds were expended and there are currently no plans to revisit such a scheme.
