John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Nolan for sharing time. Having been in the Department for a few years, I am well aware of the Bill and the implications of the new set-up for fisheries. I spent two years ensuring that the Bill did not enter the House because I do not agree with the top-down approach to this development. I always believed the seven regional fishery boards represented all of the country and had a vast knowledge of the areas in which they operated. While different governments took a bottom-up approach during the past ten years, we were going in the opposite direction. The Minister has obviously given this matter much consideration and I am sure he believes it is the best approach in the modern era.

The seven regional boards and the Central Fisheries Board have existed since 1980 and served the inland fisheries adequately. Many of their members of recent years possess much expertise and experience, so some formula should be found to ensure they are not lost to an important fishery sector. The Minister refers to setting up a forum and advisory councils, but these should be strongly stitched into the legislation. We should not just hope that this will be handled by the new inland fisheries Ireland. We need strong guidelines to ensure that this will be done. Many of those heading up new inland fisheries Ireland were senior members of the fisheries boards and might not take too kindly to having the same people directing or advising them again, but I ask the Minister of State to ensure that the expertise of the people in question is brought to bear.

Will the Minister of State address a few issues in his reply? I was in the Department when we spent €30 million buying out the drift net fishermen. We were assured by scientists at the time, although I have serious reservations about scientists and what they might tell one. It is like the expertise in the economic sphere, in that much of the advice one gets sometimes bears no relevance to the issue on the ground. Three years on and salmon fishing is still not allowed in the River Slaney. There is catch and release on the estuaries of the rivers Nore, Barrow and Suir. The Minister of State might advise us on what scientists are now saying and whether it will take another one, two or five years before the River Slaney is full of salmon. It is one of our great salmon rivers, yet there is no salmon fishing. At the time, we told rod fishermen to come along with us because, in three or four years time, salmon would return to our rivers, but that does not seem to be the case.

On catch and release, when we made the decision to ban drift net fishing, I understood that there would be training schedules for fishermen in areas where catch and release was allowed. In Scotland and elsewhere, people are trained in this area, but it is not the case in Ireland. Will the Minister of State arrange for FÁS or another Government agency in the training area to train fishermen in this regard? Genuine rod fishermen tell me that, when they catch and release, many salmon die because they are not caught or released properly. This is causing much concern. Will the Minister of State arrange for training facilities?

At the time the licence fee was increased, it was to be ring-fenced to provide adequate staff for a river inspectorate. Fishermen tell me that while we banned drift netting and stopped fishermen from fishing, poaching is alive and well on all of our rivers. It has increased substantially, since fishermen are no longer on the rivers to protect them. They knew where poachers and illegal fishing were operating. However, we now have a staff shortage and no fishermen are on the rivers. Poaching is alarmingly strong. Will the Minister of State comment on this? What plans will the new body have to take on more staff? In what way will our rivers be protected? Will those involved be employed full-time or part-time? Many people are unemployed. Could we arrange for FÁS schemes whereby people could be employed to help the inadequate number of staff currently on our rivers? The policy among fisheries boards during certain months was always to take on temporary staff. The Minister of State might comment on the fact, as I understand it, that this will not happen. The new body has indicated it has a reduced amount of money and will not be able to take on the temporary staff which was taken on every year from April to December, helping the permanent staff.

I have reservations about the new structure, which will become a top-heavy and top-down approach that may not be good in the long term. The Minister of State and his officials have obviously decided this is the way to go and I respect that decision. I ask him to ensure that local fora and advisory structures are set up so that the expertise that has existed for years on the fisheries boards can work in them.

I am a member of the relevant Oireachtas committee. I welcome that the committee will have some input but I am not sure what kind of people are being sought for input. Will they be rod men, the draft net men on some of our rivers, legal people or personnel from an economic background? What kind of people are intended for this committee as it is very important to have people from the industry? Rod fishing and angling is very important to the economy of this country and there is tremendous scope to develop the issues outlined by the Minister of State in his speech. People should be allowed to fish on our rivers and thus allow an advantage to tourism.

I am a member of a fishing club although I have never fished. Many fishing clubs are closed shops and if people want to come just for a day's fishing, they may find it very difficult to get involved in fishing clubs or be allowed to fish on the River Slaney, for example. The fishing club I am involved with has approximately 30 members and if a person is not a member, he or she just cannot fish. I have tried to have some members of family being allowed to fish but that is not allowed either.

There is a need to open the rivers for certain periods of the summer to people coming from Scotland, England and Wales, as well as from other parts of this country if they want a day's fishing. Such practice is allowed in some parts of the country but not others. The Minister must find some formula, although this will not be easy. Rod men and fishing clubs are very protective and what they have, they hold. It is important in generating tourism in an area like Wexford, Carlow or other counties with strong salmon rivers. There should be a pass for a day or a week to allow such people to fish. The Minister of State may need to test his negotiating skills to get around some of the fisheries clubs in this country to do that but I am sure he is capable.

I wish the Minister of State well with the Bill. I have my reservations and I did my best to stop it when I worked within the Department for two years, as the officials know. The new Minister feels this is the right way to go and I wish it well.

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