Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 185: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the statement of the chairman of Stop Salmon Drift Nets Now that a fair and detailed exit scheme that many of the drift net salmon fishermen have worked out would cost only a fraction of the €80 million presented by the Minister as being the cost of a buy out of commercial drift net salmon fishing licences and that the angling and tourism sectors stand ready to participate in financing such a scheme in conjunction with the State (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9750/05]

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 has instead, since 2002, 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.

Furthermore, 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 of commercial salmon licences.

I have previously stated that I believe the cost of buying out commercial salmon drift net licences in Ireland could be as high as €75 million to €80 million 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 £3.25 million.

It is on this basis that I have assessed the cost of a similar voluntary buy-out scheme in Ireland, particularly if such a scheme was to be taken up in full by the drift net operators, 887 licences. This figure would increase substantially if all other commercial fishing nets were to be included. I am sure that 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.

While I am aware of reports in certain media by or on behalf of the Stop Salmon Drift Nets Now campaign, I can inform the Deputy that no individuals or organisations have made formal offers to the Department to fund the cost of a buy-out scheme for drift netting licences. Furthermore, I have not seen nor am I aware of any evidence produced indicating that the cost of a buy-out of commercial drift net salmon fishing licences would be anything other than that which I have estimated based on other recent buy-out schemes nor have I been made aware that there are beneficiaries in a position to contribute the necessary funding for such a scheme.

As a result, and as I have previously and consistently indicated to the House, I have no current plans to introduce a buy-out of commercial salmon fishing licences, but I intend to keep the matter under review in the context of the policy outlined above. In this regard, I would be open to any relevant proposals presented to me whereby stakeholders benefiting from any reduction in commercial catch would identify themselves and indicate a willingness to fund any compensation that might arise.