Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator O'Donovan, who is an expert in this area, for raising the issue and for allowing me 30 seconds to add my tuppenceworth from a north-west point of view. The salmon fishing ban was a devastating blow and a wrong decision. It was devastating for smaller coaster and island communities. The compensation package, although available, was not availed of by all fishermen. Those people, in particular, should be allowed, encouraged or given the opportunity to return to fishing. Although scientific evidence may argue that by returning to fishing there will not be the availability of salmon, the best scientists of all are the fishermen themselves, particularly those living on islands who are advising that there are salmon coming in close to shore, in particular in the north-west 6A area, where salmon are coming in albeit later in the season.

The biggest difficulties, which the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine did not attack, were the pollution in our rivers, the lack of spawning beds for the production of salmon and the issue of seals. In every bay in the country, as in the bays in my constituency, there are seals sitting up and eating five, six and seven salmon a day. The Department should focus on a seal cull and on reopening salmon fishing. I hope the Minister of State has good news for Senator O'Donovan and me.