Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 171: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will review the situation whereby all commercial drift net salmon licences cost the same irrespective of the number of tags allocated to the licence holder; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16022/05]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Primary responsibility for the allocation of commercial salmon fishing licences is a matter for the relevant regional fisheries board in accordance with the prescribed criteria laid down under the Control of Fishing for Salmon Order 2005. This licence entitles fishermen to fish for salmon in a specified fishery district. The duty payable for a commercial salmon fishing licence has never been linked to the level of exploitation by the licence holder.

Under the wild salmon and sea trout tagging scheme regulations 2005, the fisheries boards are also responsible for managing the allocation of tags to commercial salmon fishing licence holders. The decision on the allocation of tags to each fisherman is made by the relevant fishery district committee, which includes representatives of all the commercial fishermen in the district, in line with the quota for that particular district specified in the regulations. Furthermore, I am advised by the fisheries boards that all licensed fishermen effectively determine their own tag allocation on the basis of their fishing effort each season within the confines of the relevant district quota.

As a result, I have no proposals to review the cost of commercial salmon fishing licences to take account of the numbers of tags allocated to individual fishermen by the fisheries boards. All proceeds from the sale of such licences contribute to the revenues of the central and regional fisheries boards and are reinvested by the boards directly into the ongoing management and development of the inland fisheries resource.