James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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85. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans for the 2018 fishing season on the river Slaney; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48679/17]

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I gave statutory notice on 15 November 2017 of the draft Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations, 2017 to provide for the management of the wild salmon and sea trout fishery by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) from 1 January 2018.

A copy of the draft regulations, which are made every year, is available on my Department’s website,www.dccae.gov.ie/natural,and is open for public inspection at the offices of the Inland Fisheries Division of the Department in Cavan and also at the offices of Inland Fisheries Ireland around the country. Observations on the draft regulations may be made at any time during the period of 30 days concluding on 14 December, 2017.

The draft regulations provide for an individual management regime for each of Ireland's 147 salmon rivers, river sections and estuaries based on the conservation imperative for their individual genetic stock. The regulations are based on management advice received from IFI.  This advice from IFI is supported by assessments carried out by the independent Standing Scientific Committee for Salmon comprising scientists from a range of organisations.

With regard to the river Slaney it is proposed that the river, based on assessment of the extent to which it is meeting its conservation limit, will be open to angling on a catch and release basis from 12 May 2018.