Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of tags each angler will receive for the salmon season; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3164/13]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I have been informed by Inland fisheries Ireland (IFI) that in general an angler may receive a maximum of ten gill tags for the 2013 angling season for the harvesting of salmon (any size) and sea trout (over 40cm) subject to the following:

An angler may receive three gill tags to the 11^th May where they have been issued with:

- a salmon rod (annual) ordinary licence,

- a juvenile licence, or

- a district or 21-day ordinary licence

A further 7 gill tags (issued in lots of either 3 or 4) may be allocated from the period 12^th May to 30^th September, subject to a maximum of 10 gill tags in total. The latter allocation may be provided where anglers demonstrate that they have completed their logbook appropriately and used their initial gill tag allocation.

An angler may receive one gill tag where a one day ordinary licence is issued up until the close of the season.

Further controls on the issuing of gill tags will be implemented for certain rivers where it is considered necessary by IFI in the interest of conserving stocks to closely monitor the angling quotas and ensure that river based quotas are not exceeded.

With specific reference to the River Feale, as requested by the Deputy, the surplus available for harvesting is 1,992 salmon so that number of tags is available. There are 51 commercial draft net licences and approximately 600 angling licences are sold in the River Feale catchment. The split of the quota between commercial salmon fishermen and recreational salmon anglers is yet to be determined. For information, the allocation of tags for 2012 and 2011 was set at 60% to commercial draft net licence holders, 30% to angling with a 10% reserve withheld and divided between the sectors as the season progressed. As in previous years a decision on the proportional split of the salmon quota will be made following consultation with the Fishery District Committee. A Fishery District Committee meeting will take place on foot of the draft net licence applications being approved by the Board of Inland Fisheries Ireland.

There is a further management proposal for the Feale fishery to introduce a bye-law for catch and release angling up to the 11^th of May together with a daily bag limit of 1 fish per angler per day up to a maximum of 3 fish in total from 12^th May to the end of the season. Support was expressed locally for this conservation measure at a public meeting in the area in November 2012 to discuss this option for the 2013 season.