Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 94: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his views on protests by anglers in Donegal, Kerry and other areas that their sport is being gravely hindered by serious restrictions and the failure to renew traditional leases; if he will address the causes of the serious decline in salmon stocks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3607/05]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Fisheries Acts, primary responsibility for the conservation, protection, management, development and improvement of inland fisheries rests with the regional fisheries boards. Is in my understanding that the recent protests by anglers in County Kerry relate to demands for access to public fisheries which are managed by the national parks and wildlife service on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I am informed, however, that the local salmon anglers are allowed to continue to manage the fishery on an ad hoc basis pending the completion of the requisite legal agreement and are not, therefore, excluded from using the fishery.

Protests by anglers in County Donegal, on the other hand, are related to the proposals prepared by the Northern Regional Fisheries Board for the management and development of State fisheries in the county. This plan was the subject of a discussion document, Outline Proposal for Development and Management of Angling in Donegal, prepared in support of the Donegal County Council County tourism plan on which there is an ongoing consultation exercise. The consultations are aimed at facilitating local and visiting anglers and to guarantee the long-term health and sustainability of the fisheries. I urge the angling representative bodies to participate in the ongoing process.

The overriding objective of the Government is to preserve the salmon resource in its own right and for the coastal and rural communities that it helps to support. The economic goals for a sustainable commercial salmon fishery based on quality and value rather than volume and the development of salmon angling as an important tourism product are both fully compatible with the primary objective. The Government has accepted the scientific advice that reductions in the overall fishing effort are required to sustain and rebuild wild salmon stocks nationally. The Department has implemented a strategy to ensure, through progressive reductions in catch, that the conservation limits specified by the standing scientific committee of the National Salmon Commission are being reached. This policy of promoting the application of quotas on commercial fishing and bag limits on angling has delivered significant catch reductions aimed at achieving the overall shared objective of restoration of salmon stocks.

It is the Government's belief that the current strategy of developing a sustainable commercial and recreational salmon fishery through aligning catches on the scientific advice holds out the strong prospect of a recovery of stocks and of a long-term sustainable fishery for both sectors.