Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 272: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the position of people who have consistently held a licence for drift-net salmon fishing and who would generally be invited to renew their licence in December; if they will be offered a licence for 2007; if not, the arrangements made to compensate them for the loss of their livelihood; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4211/07]

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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It is my intention that the Control of Fishing for Salmon Order will shortly be modified in such a way that applications for licences will only be invited for fishery districts where rivers are identified as having surplus stock in 2007 and only for those methods that do not impact indiscriminately on stocks of fish that are below their conservation limit. This effectively rules out the issue of drift net licences at sea and some draft net licences.

As the Deputy is aware, the primary motivation in alignment of the future management of the wild salmon fishery with the scientific advice and the introduction of the appropriate regulations to cease mixed stock fishing, is the conservation of the wild salmon species. It is vital to afford every protection to the remaining salmon stocks and to clearly prioritise conservation over catch. In future, the wild salmon fishery will be managed on the basis of individual river stocks. Harvesting of salmon will be restricted to rivers which have been identified as meeting their conservation limit in compliance with the Habitats Directive.

While there is no legal obligation on the State to provide compensation in a situation where it is imposing management measures that are fundamentally in the public good, the hardship scheme agreed by Government provides a measure of relief to each individual in line with the level of hardship likely to be experienced on foot of loss of this seasonal fishery.

Details of the hardship fund are being finalised at present and will be widely advertised in the national press in the near future.

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 273: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the situation regarding the carrying over of herring quota from week to week in the north west fishing area. [4212/07]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 274: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the reason it is not possible to carry over herring catch from week to week in the Celtic Sea in order to meet quota; and his views on allowing same for safety reasons. [4213/07]

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 273 and 274 together.

The management arrangements in place for the Celtic Sea and North West Herring fisheries have been developed in consultation with industry representatives and differ in the length of the fishing periods allowed. The Celtic Sea fishery involves single week fishing periods, while the North West fishery involves 6-weekly fishing periods.

In the case of both fisheries, vessels wishing to participate notify their interest in advance and are allocated catch limits for the 1 week or 6 week fishing period involved. Any quantity not caught within that fishing period remains part of the national quota and is allocated in subsequent fishing periods to vessels participating.

If bad weather prevents a vessel going to sea to catch its allocated catch limit, the vessel is free to book into the fishery for subsequent fishing periods, until the fishery closes.

These are the management arrangements developed with the industry. If the industry proposes to me that alternative arrangements be employed, I will be happy to consider them.