Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will consider instituting a compensation package for the Waterford estuary salmon fishermen similar to the 2006 package. [7064/13]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the criteria for salmon conservation on the River Barrow. [7065/13]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on salmon conservation targets for the Barrow, Nore and Suir rivers. [7066/13]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if drift net salmon fishing will resume on the Waterford estuary if conservation stock targets have been met. [7067/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 425 to 428, inclusive, together.

As the Deputy is aware, the Salmon Hardship Scheme he refers to was introduced by the state following a decision to stop the commercial salmon mixed stock fishery in the sea.

The scheme closed for applications on 31st December 2007. This scheme was targeted at commercial salmon fishermen who were active in the fishery at the time and funding was provided to fishermen for them to leave the fishery and diversify into some new activity.

The scheme was wound up in 2008 and all funds have been expended. The Deputy will also appreciate that in the current financial circumstances there is no prospect of revisiting such a scheme.

Conditions of the scheme included that nets had to be verifiably decommissioned to the satisfaction of the local Regional Fisheries Board and that no new licence would issue.

This scheme was administered by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) and an independent appeals officer appointed for any applicant that was aggrieved by the decision of BIM.

The scheme was introduced because of Ireland’s requirement to comply with national and international legislation and obligations which meant a closure of the drift net fishery.

There were approximately 67 fishermen in the Waterford estuary who chose not to avail of the scheme. These fishermen had previously held public fishing licenses.

I am advised that the Waterford estuary is currently below its conservation limit and therefore there is no permitted salmon fishery in the estuary. Any future decision on a fishery could only be taken in the context of the estuary being above its conservation limit and at that stage national and international legislation and other obligations would have to be considered.

Salmon conservation limits are set similarly for all of Ireland’s 142 salmon rivers. The advice of the Standing Scientific Committee has regard to a range of considerations, principally, the size of the river (wetted area) and the latitude.

Other factors specific to each river include the proportion of one sea winter salmon and multi sea winter salmon in the population, and the average weight of these salmon.

Other inputs to calculating conservation limits nationally are proportions of male and female salmon and average numbers of eggs per female fish. The number of eggs required to spawn a given area of river is calculated from index rivers and then used to calculate the egg requirement on all other rivers.

The total egg requirement is then calculated for each specific river using the river’s wetted area and latitude. This total egg requirement is then calculated as total adult spawning salmon required (the conservation limit), split into a spawning requirement for one sea winter and multi sea winter salmon.

I am advised that the independent Standing Scientific Committee (SSC) for salmon revised the conservation limits for all rivers for the 2013 scientific advice.

New estimates of river wetted area were made in 2012 and the wetted area estimate of the River Barrow increased from 649 to 760 hectares. However, the proportion of multi sea winter salmon designated for the Barrow increased to 39%. Overall, these changes resulted in the salmon conservation limit of the Barrow reducing from 12,117 salmon in 2012 to 11,737 salmon from 2013 onwards.

The SSC have advised that salmon conservation limits will not be revised for a period of five years. The achievement of the salmon conservation limit on the Barrow has been assessed previously using declared rod catch up to 2006 when the river was open to angling. Since then, catchment wide-electrofishing has been used to assess the levels of juvenile salmon throughout the catchment.

The SSC advice for 2013 was the Barrow is failing to meet its conservation limit but the river has been opened for catch and release angling in 2013 which will provide data on the strength of the salmon stock.

Salmon conservation limits for the Suir and Nore are set on a similar basis to that of the Barrow but using the wetted area and latitude for the Suir and Nore specifically.

The Waterford estuary has a number of rivers entering the sea in the same area. Prior to any commercial fishing being permitted in the estuary area it will be necessary for all the waters in the vicinity of the fishing location to be in surplus at the same time and for genetic analysis to have confirmed that no other stocks are mixed in the area.

If genetic assessment proves that the stocks in the area are specific to local rivers only, and that analysis shows that these stocks are above their conservation limit with a surplus available for exploitation, consideration could be given to a commercial fishery.