Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 69: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his views on the estimate of the national salmon commission chairman that a buy-out of commercial salmon drift net licences would cost between €75 million and €80 million (details supplied); the way in which such an estimate was arrived at; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5436/05]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The National Salmon Commission is an independent statutory body established under the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1999 to assist and advise the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources on the conservation, management, protection and development of the national salmon resource and, in particular, in relation to the national wild salmon and sea trout tagging scheme regulations. In that context, the chairman of the commission is entitled to express his views independently of either the Minister or the Department.

The Deputy should be aware that I recently stated quite openly and publicly that I believe the cost of buying out commercial salmon driftnet licences in Ireland could be as high as €75 million or more. This figure is based on buy-out proposals which were implemented in recent years in Northern Ireland and the north east of England, where the cost of buying out, not all, but up to 56 licence holders is understood to have cost some Stg£3.25 million.

On this basis, the cost of a similar voluntary buy-out scheme in Ireland, if taken up in full by the drift net operators — 887 licences — would be in the region of €75 million. This figure would increase substantially if the draft nets — over 800 licences — were to be included. I am sure the Deputy will agree that buy-out proposals on this scale are not practical and we need to caution against excessive expectations about large amounts of compensation.

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. Moreover, 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. As I have previously indicated to the House, I am prepared to keep the matter under review and would be open to any relevant proposals whereby stakeholders benefiting from any reduction in commercial catch might fund any compensation that might arise.