Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 474: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide the names and addresses of the 20 drift net and draft net licence holders who have not been paid compensation to give up their licences in the Shannon Estuary area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20372/10]

Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 475: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if a small number of salmon fishermen (details supplied) who refused compensation from his Department for the drift net and draft net licences will be allowed to return to salmon fishing or if he will offer them an improved compensation package; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20373/10]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 474 and 475 together.

The Government created a salmon hardship fund for those affected by the cessation of mixed stock fishing in 2006. The Salmon Hardship Scheme, which was administered by BIM, provided a measure of relief to individuals in line with the level of hardship likely to be experienced. The scheme, participation in which was voluntary, is closed since the end of April 2007. The Department is not the issuing authority for licences and does not have the details sought by the Deputy of those who did not participate in the scheme.

The harvest of salmon by any means is permitted only in those rivers that are meeting their conservation limits and have an identified surplus following appropriate assessment. The Standing Scientific Committee has advised that stocks of salmon in the River Shannon are below conservation limits.

It is not possible to relax the conservation measures other than where river stocks recover and it is established from the results of the scientific analysis that significant numbers of fish destined for other rivers are not intercepted. It should be possible, in those circumstances, to exploit the identified surplus in rivers, bays and estuaries, within the constraints permitted by the Habitats Directive.

Those salmon licence holders who did not avail of the Salmon Hardship Scheme will be able to apply for a licence to fish in the future, while those who did receive a payment under the scheme gave an undertaking not to apply for a licence in the future.