Mr. Jerry Early: I thank the Chairman. This is our second time here. I thank the Chairman for inviting us back. The last time we were here we gave a presentation to another committee and we are glad that the work has been expanded to include other committees. I am from Arranmore Island in Donegal. I represent the Donegal Islands fishermen. For the sake of brevity the examples contained in this submission are specific to Arranmore Island. My colleague Mr. O'Brien is from Inishbofin and is on the islands committee. He will explain in the question and answer session how the salmon ban came into effect. While this submission is made on behalf of the fishermen of the Donegal islands the issues contained within it are common to island fishermen throughout Ireland. We call for fair treatment of small island communities and respect for fishermen as custodians of our fisheries and the sea. We ask for the responsibility for and right to practice traditional livelihoods that are ecologically sustainable, socially just and culturally diverse and to pass and hand down our traditions, knowledge and skills to future generations. In 2006 we were forced to unite as a community under the banner of the Donegal Islands Committee in an attempt to mitigate the negative impact of the salmon ban imposed on us by the Government. Our island communities have been decimated as a result of the ban. In our seven year existence we have not wavered from our commitment despite political pressure, including financial inducements which we rejected. In 2006 and 2009 we published reports highlighting our concerns and lo and behold, all the predictions in these reports came true. Arranmore Island has lost €800,000 to €1 million from its annual economy as set out in the submission of 2009 by Crick Carleton of Nautilus Consultants who did this on behalf of Comhar na nOileán Teo. Our solution as set out in the report by Ms Alyne Delaney, an expert in island fisheries management from the University of Aalborg, Denmark. Specifically we asked that the salmon ban be relaxed for five years during which time a series of experiments would be conducted where island fishermen collaborate with scientific bodies to determine the salmon genealogy. We believe that by conducting the appropriate DNA analysis of the fish that are caught in our waters we can unequivocally determine if the fish are bound for rivers that have a surplus. Critically, if after the five year pilot scheme is completed it is determined that our fishing practices are significantly undermining understocked rivers we will cease those fishing practices. In order to have a comprehensive assessment we propose that this study be conducted on a days-at-sea basis but not further than 12 miles from shore as outlined in Ms Delaney's report. In 2006 we warned of the effects this legislation would have on the islands of Donegal and elsewhere. Unfortunately we have been proved correct. In 2012 on Arranmore Island 18 people died but for the first time in recorded history not one child was born. This, the committee must agree, is an alarming statistic. We have lost many young men and women to emigration as they sought and failed to sustain a livelihood in an environment that could not support them where it should; the Arranmore Lifeboat of which we are very proud has lost 25 of its highly-trained crew members; school enrolments are down and have fallen to such a degree that one of the two primary schools is now faced with imminent closure. In the absence of corrective action the future of the Donegal Islands is clear. The CSO classes Arranmore as an extremely disadvantaged area, ranking it 1 out of 483 on its relative deprivation score. If nothing is done our community will die out. I am simply stating facts from recent studies and statistics. A Government spokesman recently told us that the relaxation of the salmon ban would be irresponsible. How much more irresponsible is it for us all to sit idly by as the life-blood drains out of our islands? The Government should not be prepared to preside over the death of a vibrant, colourful community or communities, that bring so much weight to an Irish way of life. I recently met an influential MEP Ms Ulrike Rodust from Germany who stated that an island is not an island without fishermen. An amendment to the European CFP recital (14A )states:The definition of small-scale fishing needs to be widened to take account of a range of criteria in addition to boat size, including inter alia the prevailing weather conditions, the impact of fishing techniques on the marine ecosystem, time spent at sea and the characteristics of the economic unit exploiting the resource. Small offshore islands which are dependent on fishing should be especially recognised and supported both in terms of additional resource allocation and financially to enable their survival and prosperity.I thank the committee for its attention to this matter. We recognise the extreme pressures on the time of committee members and we greatly appreciate the interest they have shown in our plight by inviting us to attend here again. The communities of the islands have sent us here to plead our case. We request on their behalf that the committee approve our proposal to conduct a detailed scientific analysis whereby the salmon ban be relaxed for five years, during which time a series of experiments will be conducted in which island fishermen will collaborate with scientific bodies to determine the salmon genealogy and the most economically and environmentally sustainable path forward. We depend on this political process to carry this message to those in Government who have the power to overturn this decision. I thank the Chairman. I will expand on these points in the question and answer session.