Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 191: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he intends to introduce single river management of salmon stocks in 2006 and a voluntary compensation scheme for drift net fishermen in view of the growing concerns regarding wild Irish salmon stocks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2128/06]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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While there remains a surplus of salmon returning to Irish rivers, the Government has accepted the scientific advice that reductions in the overall fishing effort are required 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.

I have asked the National Salmon Commission to advise as to how best the alignment of exploitation of salmon with the scientific advice can be implemented by 2007, bearing in mind the requirement to ensure the future biological viability of the salmon resource in all catchments and also the needs of all stakeholders, including those who derive their living from the wild salmon resource.

A move to single stock management of the wild salmon fishery would take time and significant additional resources. This could not be achieved without further and considerable scientific input, infrastructural investment and planning. The impact of such a move would have to be fully examined and understood before its introduction. I expect the National Salmon Commission along with the relevant State agencies to examine the prospects for single stock management within the Irish fishery and to advise me in this regard.

With regard to compensation issues, I welcome the Oireachtas joint committee's acknowledgement that any compensatory schemes should largely be funded by those stakeholders who would be the main economic beneficiaries of more salmon being free to return to the rivers. I also welcome its comment that "public monies spent must have, as a primary aim, ensuring the survival of the salmon species and that this precept must be regarded as more important than any economic gain to any sector that may accrue".

Bearing this principle in mind, 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 have referred the broad outline proposals, which were submitted to me, to the National Salmon Commission for an objective evaluation in accordance with its terms of reference in the overall context of conservation management measures designed to achieve the alignment of national and district total allowable catches and quotas. I await its advice in this regard. I will examine carefully all recommendations, including those relevant to single stock management, made by the salmon commission.