Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)

Yes. I had to vote and compromise. I did not think I would be standing here on my own, but it has to be done. I see the good in regulation. I recall when the monofilament nets, some of which were one or two miles long, were removed. They were taking all the salmon from this country and letting them into our rivers - I come from a very rich county of rivers, comprising the Barrow, Nore, Suir and Blackwater - resulting in a decline in rivers which have been closed for the past three years. We are trying to introduce conservation to try to increase our salmon stocks.

In the Nore last year, which is located in my county, salmon fishing resumed because the experts and scientists told us we had returned to the correct level of allocated fish. We were able to take 480 salmon out of the Nore last year, which was as a result of the removal of monofilament nets from the sea. It is to be hoped that this year we can take 4,000 salmon out of the Nore, which is above its conservation limits. It is a sign that legislation does work.

The Suir is at 96% this year. A deputation is to meet the Minister this week to ask him if fishing could be allowed on the Suir. Its argument is that, in these recessionary times, money can be made from fishing. The Minister should allow fishing to resume in order that the families involved can return to the industry.

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