James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is good to hear. I have a supplementary question on salmon stocks and conservation measures. As the Minister of State said, salmon is endangered and listed in the Habitats Directive. It is in peril. There is a focus on recreational angling inspections and restrictions on certain rivers to preserve salmon stocks within them at certain periods, all of which makes a lot of sense. I ask the Department to consider that angling is only one part of the issue. On a good day, an angler might catch one salmon. It might take several days fishing to take one. Someone can arrive at an estuary with a net and pull out 100 salmon in two hours. That is where the problem is, that is, illegal netting around the estuaries with people working off boats and some from jetties and piers. That is the nub of the problem and, as such, I ask the Minister of State whether the Estimate includes inspections and sanctions in that regard. That is where the focus needs to be to really tackle the problem. Anglers are one part of it but by their nature, they tend to value the fish and the species. It is in their interests to perpetuate the stock for themselves and future generations. Netters have no such scruples. I put it to the Minister of State that it is an area that needs careful monitoring, inspections and sanctions where people are found in breach.