Written answers

Tuesday, 8 February 2005

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Inland Fisheries

8:00 pm

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 114: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the estimated size of the wild salmon stock on the rivers Liffey and Boyne; the fish counting and measures which are planned on each river to return the stocks to sustainable conservation levels; and his estimate of the number of salmon returning to these rivers which will be intercepted in driftnets to the north, west and south of the country. [3674/05]

Photo of Pat GallagherPat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Fisheries Acts, primary responsibility for the conservation and management of salmon stocks rests with the relevant regional fisheries board, which in this case is the Eastern Regional Fisheries Board. I am advised by the board that data on the total run of salmon into the rivers Liffey and Boyne are provided by counters managed by the board and the Marine Institute. Information gathered by the board under the national salmon carcass tagging and logbook scheme provides an accurate estimate of both the commercial catch and rod catch. A measure of the number of salmon from the Boyne and Liffey which are caught in fisheries outside their districts is available from the Marine Institute's national coded wire tagging and tag recovery programme.

I am advised by these agencies that, from these data, the total stock returning to the Boyne in 2004 was estimated at 7,933 salmon, of which 23% was captured by commercial nets and 11% were caught by rod and line within the district, and 22% may have been captured by commercial nets outside the district.

I am further advised that the total stock returning to the Liffey in 2004 was estimated at 992 salmon. The river is fished very little for salmon and almost no commercial fishing takes place. Less than 25 salmon were taken by all means in 2004. It is estimated that some 16% of returning salmon may have been captured by commercial nets outside the fishery district.

I rely upon the advice of the National Salmon Commission and the regional fisheries boards' managers in determining the conservation and management measures, including the district quotas for the commercial salmon catch necessary to protect salmon stocks and which are implemented under the wild salmon and sea trout tagging scheme. The National Salmon Commission and the fisheries managers have yet to complete their review of the scheme's operation in 2004 and finalise recommendations for the operation of the scheme in 2005. These recommendations, which may include specific measures aimed at restoring the more vulnerable stocks to sustainable levels, will be finalised towards the end of February. It is my intention to meet the National Salmon Commission and receive its advice at that time.

I will consider fully all of the measures recommended to me by the National Salmon Commission and the fisheries managers within the context of the Government's current strategy, which is to develop a sustainable commercial and recreational salmon fishery through aligning catches on the best available scientific advice.

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