Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

522. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent to which the salmon fisheries sector continues to develop and compete; the extent to which stocks have improved or otherwise in the past number of years; the action planned on issues arising; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7457/18]

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Ireland manages salmon stocks on an individual river basis. This management is carried out by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), the State Agency with statutory responsibility for inland fisheries. The management policy is based on the fact that each of Ireland’s 147 salmon rivers, river sections, estuaries, etc., has its own genetically unique stock of salmon, which migrates to sea as juveniles and returns to the same river in adulthood to spawn and create the next generation of fish exclusive to that river.

IFI is supported in its management role by Ireland’s Standing Scientific Committee. IFI also draws on international advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).

The Atlantic salmon is a protected species under the EU Habitats Directive with which Ireland’s current salmon management regime complies. In order to align fully with the Directive and the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO) principles and in view of a sharp decline in salmon stocks, the Irish Government closed mixed stock fisheries in 2007 including coastal and offshore fishing for salmon. Harvest fisheries are now only allowed on individual river stocks which are shown to have a surplus and in estuaries where the stocks from individual rivers entering the estuary are each meeting their individual conservation limits.

A Salmon Hardship Scheme was introduced in 2007 under which fishermen active in the commercial salmon fishery could opt to permanently cease fishing. 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.  It is considered that river stocks would be in a far more perilous state if the closure of mixed stock fisheries had not been implemented.

The number of public commercial licences available for sustainable harvesting of fisheries in 2018 is 105 while it is anticipated that some 18,000 recreational licences will issue.  Recreational angling now comprises close to 70% of total catches. Catch and release continues to be a feature of recreational angling with approximately 10,000 salmon released by anglers annually.

During migration from rivers to marine feeding grounds, salmon from both rivers in Ireland and rivers in other countries travel through Ireland’s coastal waters. These "mixed stocks" pose particular difficulties for management as they contain individual fish often from a wide range of rivers some of which are below sustainable reproductive capacity. Any deviation from current policy would be contrary to the international independent scientific advice as the “home river” of off-shore salmon cannot be identified and it is not possible to disaggregate the individuals or stock groups at sea.

The conservation imperative demands that current salmon stocks are not further eroded by mismanagement or inappropriate exploitation, whether via angling, commercial fisheries in rivers inland or through the operation of indiscriminate mixed stock fisheries at sea or in estuaries.

Ireland is committed to international agreements entered into at EU level and at NASCO and the prohibition of mixed stock fisheries is a key element of international best practice in salmon conservation and management.