Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 553: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the proposals his Department has to introduce a voluntary buy-out scheme for commercial drift-net salmon fishing licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24538/05]

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 554: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the most up-to-date information regarding the stocks of wild salmon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24539/05]

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 555: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his proposals to consolidate and increase the level of the wild salmon stocks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24540/05]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 553, 554 and 555 together.

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. 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 of commercial salmon licences 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, and as I have previously and consistently indicated to the House, I have no plans at present to introduce a buy-out of commercial salmon fishing licences but I am continuing to review the matter 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 engage in the first instance with licence holders and indicate a willingness to address any compensation issues that might arise. I can confirm that broad outline proposals have been submitted to me recently, which I intend to consider in the context of any review of policy.

Since taking up my appointment as Minister of State responsible for the marine last year, I have re-affirmed the Government's belief that the current strategy of developing a sustainable commercial and recreational salmon fishery through aligning catches on the scientific advice holds out the strong prospect of a recovery of stocks and of a long-term sustainable fishery for both sectors. In national terms, the latest scientific advice on wild salmon stocks is that 359,002 wild salmon returned in 2004 including 191,579 spawners. Data for 2005 will not be available until full analysis of the exploitation during the 2005 season has been completed by the fisheries boards and the Marine Institute.

With this in mind, while there remains an abundance of salmon returning to Irish rivers, the Government has accepted the scientific advice that continues to maintain that reductions in the overall fishing effort are required in order to sustain and rebuild salmon stocks nationwide. For this reason, current Government policy has been designed to bring spawning escapement up to the level of the scientifically advised conservation limits as soon as possible. In keeping with this policy, when setting the commercial salmon quotas for the 2005 season, I gave a firm commitment to fully align the exploitation of salmon, both at national and district levels, on the scientific advice by 2007. In order to achieve this, I will be asking the new National Salmon Commission, which I intend to appoint shortly, to progress the specific recommendation made by the outgoing commission to align the exploitation of salmon on the scientific advice by 2007.