Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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598. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding fishing licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32578/17]

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is the state agency responsible for the protection, management and conservation of Ireland's inland fisheries and sea angling resources. IFI manages salmon stocks on an individual river basis as each of Ireland’s 147 salmon rivers (including river sections and estuaries) has its own genetically unique stock of salmon.

IFI is supported in its management role by the independent Standing Scientific Committee (SSC), comprising scientists from a range of organisations. Scientific and management assessments of each of the distinct stocks, including the River Shannon, are carried out every year with IFI engaged in an extensive stock monitoring which feeds into the scientific committee's annual reviews.

The SSC estimates the number of salmon likely to return to each river in the next fishing season based on estimates of salmon runs over the most recent five years.  Each river has an individual conservation limit which is essentially the number of salmon required to spawn to maintain a healthy population. If the estimate of returning salmon is above this limit then salmon from that genetically unique river population may be harvested commercially or by rod and line.

No harvestable surplus of salmon has been available on the Shannon since 2007.

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

The Salmon Hardship Scheme was introduced following a Government decision in 2006 to cease, for conservation reasons, the commercial salmon mixed stock fishery.  Under the scheme, fishermen active in the commercial salmon fishery, could opt to voluntarily cease fishing and undertake not to seek a licence in the future.

In excess of €25 million was allocated to the scheme to facilitate payments to fishermen, with a further €5 million provided for community development projects. Payments to individuals were based on verifiable track record and recorded catches in the five years prior to its introduction.

The scheme closed for applications on 31 December 2007 and ceased in 2008. I understand that all funds were expended and there are currently no plans to revisit such a scheme.