Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will bring forward the date for the opening of the angling season on a river (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7070/13]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that, as each river has a genetically unique stock, Ireland’s salmon rivers are managed on an individual basis by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI). Available surpluses (if any) of salmon are calculated for each individual river annually.

The annual surplus of salmon available on the River Maine is divided between the commercial and recreational anglers. I am advised by IFI that any extension (earlier opening) of the recreational angling season would need to be based on robust scientific analysis of available surplus, catch returns, counter information, run timing, exploitation rates etc. With the majority of these parameters the time series of available data is considered by IFI to be too short to draw any meaningful scientific conclusions and therefore, in line with the conservation imperative, based on the precautionary principle, no recommendation can be made for an extension to the salmon angling season at this time.

The independent Standing Scientific Committee (SSC) for salmon provide advice on the criteria that should be evaluated when considering a proposal for an extension to the angling season in any salmon catchment.