Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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533. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the detail of the five most destructive factors limiting the recovery of salmon stocks in the River Slaney; his plans to address these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15288/17]

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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534. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the analysis which has been undertaken by the standing scientific committee on salmon on water abstraction from the River Slaney for domestic, agricultural and industrial use; the effect this is having on salmon stocks in the River Slaney; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15289/17]

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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535. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will reopen the salmon hardship scheme for the remaining 35 salmon net licence holders on the River Slaney in view of the fact that draft net licences on the river have been suspended for ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15290/17]

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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536. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will consider directing Inland Fisheries Ireland to carry out a full salmonid habitat survey of the River Slaney to develop a habitat map for the catchment. [15291/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 533 to 536, inclusive, together.

There are many factors affecting salmon stocks generally.

Marine survival is considered to have the biggest influence on return of salmon to all Rivers from far North Atlantic feeding grounds and survival has been at or below 5% in the North Atlantic for more than a decade.

There is also evidence that heavy sea-lice infestation from salmon farming has resulted in additional mortality in respect of migratory North Atlantic salmon generally.

In freshwater, water quality and a range of pressures such as afforestation, drainage, effluent discharge, siltation and agricultural enrichment can all have an impact on juvenile salmon production.

The function of the Standing Scientific Committee (SSC) is to review the status of stocks in each of Ireland’s 147 salmon rivers, river sections, estuaries etc. every year and to provide scientific advice to underpin management decisions.  In that regard the status of stock in the River Slaney is reviewed annually.

The current status of the river Slaney is based on the information provided by the SSC. The SSC estimate the number of salmon likely to return to each river in the next fishing season based on an average of the data over the most recent five years.  The use of a five year average ensures that a "good" or "bad" year in terms of salmon returns does not disproportionately impact assessments and that ephemeral incongruity is avoided in data sets and subsequent scientific advice.

In contemplation of the 2017 fishing year, three scientific assessments of the salmon stock status on the river Slaney were undertaken. These assessments were based on recent fish counter data, rod catch data, and catchment-wide electro-fishing data. All three assessments indicate that the Slaney is not meeting its individual conservation limits for both one sea winter or multi sea winter salmon stocks.

The scientific salmon assessment methodologies used in Ireland are considered best practice internationally, with many other countries moving towards the development of similar scientific assessment models for salmon stock conservation.

I am advised by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) that it deploys a significant protection and conservation resource into the river Slaney catchment including day and night surveillance operations, boat, kayak and foot patrols and monitoring of water quality.

The Salmon Hardship Scheme was introduced following a Government decision in 2006 to cease the commercial salmon mixed stock fishery for conservation reasons. Under this scheme, €25 million was targeted at commercial salmon fishermen, who were active in the fishery at the time, and funding was provided to fishermen for them to permanently cease fishing and diversify into new activity. In addition, €5 million was provided for community based initiatives in areas affected by the cessation of fishing.  It closed for applications on 31st December 2007 and was ceased, with all funds expended, in 2008. There are currently no plans to revisit such a scheme.