Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 251: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his proposals for a buy-out for drift and draft net fishermen; his proposals for a set-aside; his proposals to compensate these persons for the loss of their quota; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29732/04]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government has consistently ruled out buy-out as an effective means of achieving the restoration of salmon stocks and instead promoted the application of quotas on commercial fishing and bag limits on angling to achieve catch reductions as the best instrument available to achieve this objective. No convincing case has been advanced as to the public good that would be acquired by the State in the context of a publicly funded buy-out nor why stakeholders, benefiting from increased numbers of salmon entering the rivers, should not contribute in whole or in part towards achieving that increase.

As a result, I have no plans to introduce proposals to purchase commercial salmon fishing licences. I am prepared, however, to keep the matter under review and am open to any relevant proposals whereby stakeholders benefiting from any reduction in commercial catch might fund in whole or in part any compensation arising. In recent years the Department has supported a number of catchment-based set-aside schemes with matching funds through the regional fisheries boards. The Department is prepared to continue to support such proposals, subject to available Exchequer funding. The only context for set-aside schemes will still be through an agreed local scheme involving commercial fishermen and all other stakeholders who stand to benefit from increased spawning escapement. Should a regional fisheries board bring forward developed proposals for a local catchment-based set-aside scheme, the Department is prepared to consider such a proposal provided that any matching funds required would come from within the existing allocations to the fisheries boards.