Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 673: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of licences for the fishing of salmon by draft net which issued relevant to County Mayo in the years 2005, 2006, 2007 and to date in 2008; the names and addresses of the holders of said licences for 2005, 2006, 2007 and to date in 2008; the names of the several fisheries or other areas in County Mayo, in respect of which licences for the fishing of salmon by draft net issued for the years 2005, 2006, 2007 and to date in 2008; the names and address of the several fisheries or other areas in County Mayo, in respect of which licences for the fishing of salmon by draft net traditionally issued affected by closure orders prohibiting or restricting the fishing of salmon by draft net or otherwise consequent upon the recent conservation measure introduced by the Government; and the criteria in respect of areas in County Mayo affected by closure orders prohibiting draft net fishing for salmon, applied to determining the making of said closure orders. [13846/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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My function in the matter of allocating salmon fishing licences is, under the Control of Fishing for Salmon Order, limited to authorising the issue of commercial fishing licences by regional fisheries boards, setting out the criteria under which those licences may be issued and prescribing the maximum number of commercial licences which may be issued by regional boards.

The maximum number of draft net licences which may be issued for the years 2005 to 2008 in the fishery districts in County Mayo are as follows:

The issue of licences is a day-to-day operational matter for each of the regional fisheries boards. The names and addresses of holders of licences (or the several fisheries) are held by the relevant regional fisheries board and are subject to the Data Protection Act.

Details of the rivers open for the harvest of salmon in the fishery districts in County Mayo in 2008 are identified in the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations 2008, S.I. No. 98 of 2008. The rivers so identified reflect the recommendations of the Standing Scientific Committee of the National Salmon Commission and the fisheries managers and are based on appropriate scientific assessment. In each case that assessment confirms that the rivers meet their conservation limit and that an identifiable surplus has been specified that can be harvested in compliance with the constraints of the Habitats Directive.