Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 103: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the figures which were put forward at the final meeting of the outgoing National Salmon Commission in regard to the recommended total salmon quota for the whole country by the fisheries board managers, the scientists and the chairman of the Salmon Commission; the way in which each of these figures was arrived at; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8501/05]

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the percentage of salmon quota allocated to each fisheries board area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8503/05]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 105 together.

I rely upon the advice of the National Salmon Commission, NSC, and the National Fisheries Managers Executive, NFME, regional fisheries boards' managers, in determining the terms of the wild salmon and sea trout tagging scheme, which inter alia sets out district quotas for the commercial salmon catch annually.

The National Salmon Commission is an independent statutory body established under the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1999 to assist and advise me, as Minister of State with responsibility for the marine, on the conservation, management, protection and development of the national salmon resource and, in particular, on the national wild salmon and sea trout tagging scheme regulations. The commission includes representatives of the commercial fishing sector, the angling sector and other relevant stakeholders.

The National Salmon Commission is advised in its work by its own standing scientific committee, which includes scientists from BIM, the Central Fisheries Board, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Loughs Agency and the Marine Institute.

On 30 November last, the standing scientific committee presented its preliminary recommendations to the commission on the precautionary salmon catch advice for the 2005 fishing season. At that time the scientific committee's preliminary advice recommended that the total number of salmon to be exploited by all fishing methods in 2005 should not exceed 122,305 fish. I understand, however, that this advice was updated to a figure of 124,571 fish when the final catch statistics report for the 2004 season became available from the Central Fisheries Board towards the end of January last. This advice was, for the first time in 2005, based on the adoption of a 75% probability of reaching the conservation limits. The scientific committee does not make any recommendation, however, as to how many of these fish should be allocated to the commercial fishing sector as opposed to the angling sector.

This scientific advice was considered by the NFME from a fisheries management perspective and the fisheries managers then submitted their advice to me on 14 February regarding salmon conservation measures and salmon quotas for 2005 and beyond.

In its advice, the NFME recommends that the total catch of wild salmon in 2005 should not exceed 173,854 based on achieving a 50% probability of meeting the conservation limits. The NFME advice also includes preliminary recommendations for a suite of conservation measures that it believes should be introduced in the fishery. The NFME believes that if these measures are introduced in 2005, a provision of 27,500 fish should be sufficient for exploitation by anglers this year. With this figure in mind, the NFME recommends that the national commercial TAC for 2005 should not exceed 146,174 fish and that the conservation limits be met on a staged basis in each district by 2008.

The National Salmon Commission met on 22 February 2005 to consider the scientific and management advice available with a view to finalising its recommendations on the management of the wild salmon fishery in 2005. The chairman, in his letter of 1 March 2005, advises me that the commission was unable to reach a consensus on either the scientific or management quota proposals. He advises, however, that the National Salmon Commission did endorse, by a majority decision, a compromise proposal that the national commercial catch of salmon for 2005 should not exceed 139,900 fish and that this recommendation is made on the basis that the commission would adopt the scientific committee's advice by the 2007 season at the latest.

I am still considering the advices offered to me, bearing in mind the need to balance the needs of all beneficiaries and users of the salmon resource. I expect, however, to publish draft wild salmon and sea trout tagging scheme regulations setting a national total allowable commercial catch of salmon for 2005 very shortly. These draft regulations will also set out the total allowable commercial catch of salmon for each of the 17 fishery districts around the coast.

Under the requirements of the Fisheries Acts, the draft regulations are available for a 30 day consultation period to allow interested parties an opportunity to submit any objections they may have. Following the receipt and consideration of these, I will then make a final decision on the scheme.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 104: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the contact his Department has had with the north Atlantic salmon fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8502/05]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I am advised that the Department has exchanged correspondence with the north Atlantic salmon fund, NASF, on the management of the Irish wild salmon fishery in recent years. I understand that a meeting took place in February 2003 between my colleague and predecessor as Minister of State, Deputy Browne, and the chairman of the NASF. I am advised that this meeting was arranged to discuss the organisation's views about the netting of wild salmon by Irish commercial fishermen. Since being appointed Minister of State with responsibility for the marine in 2004, I have not met nor have I had any discussions with the NASF.