Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

747. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to address a problem (details supplied) regarding the lack of tags for salmon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30891/18]

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

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 scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) and Ireland’s independent Standing Scientific Committee (SSC). 

The annual Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations, made under the Inland Fisheries Act 2010, provide for the management of Ireland's wild salmon and sea trout fisheries by IFI. Specifically, the Regulations provide for the quotas of fish (surplus to the conservation limits) that can be harvested either commercially or by rod and line from those rivers identified in the Schedule to the Regulations. These Regulations are revised each year taking account of advice from IFI, the Standing Scientific Committee and any submissions received during a 30 day statutory public consultation period.

I have been informed by IFI that commercial draft net fishermen have a quota to harvest salmon at the location specified by the Deputy. This quota is managed by IFI local officers who attend the shoreline daily to ensure that any tags required are issued once the logbooks confirm the catches and previous tags used.

The quota available for commercial draft net fishermen on this river for the 2018 season is 428 fish. Once the quota has been reached fishing will cease. There is no further available quota. The season runs from 1st June to 31st July 2018.