Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 587: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the surplus of fish which will occur due to the ban on salmon drift net fishing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9030/08]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 588: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if a structure (details supplied) will be put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9031/08]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 589: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if a transfer will occur to the private sector (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9032/08]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 590: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if a sector can access a surplus (details supplied) or if they will be compensated on a yearly basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9033/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 587 to 590, inclusive, together.

As the Deputy is aware, it is vital to afford every protection to the remaining salmon stocks and to clearly prioritise conservation over catch. We must fulfil our obligations under the Habitats Directive, namely to maintain or restore fish stocks to favourable conservation status.

The cessation of mixed stock fishing for salmon was introduced for conservation reasons. It is no longer tenable to indiscriminately harvest fish destined for rivers which are failing to meet their conservation limits. For this reason the harvest of fish has been confined to the stocks of those rivers identified by the scientific advice as having a surplus. The rivers meeting their Conservation Limit and for which a surplus of fish was identified for harvest in 2008, were specified in the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations published in 2007.

The Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations 2007 also provide for the establishment of Fishery District Committees, which are representative of both commercial and recreational stakeholders, with whom the Chief Executive Officer of the Regional Fisheries Board will consult in allocating the opportunity to harvest the identified surplus in each river.

Last year, and on foot of the cessation of mixed stock fishing for wild salmon, the Government put in place a €25m Salmon Hardship Scheme aimed at providing a measure of relief to individuals in line with the level of hardship likely to be experienced based on their recent catch history.

The management of the fishery in those rivers where a surplus has been identified and the question of how best to exploit that surplus is under active consideration by the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the relevant regional fisheries boards. I expect to receive proposals in this regard from the CEOs in the near future, which I will consider in consultation with relevant scientific and other expertise.