Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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12. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government whether Inland Fisheries Ireland has set a cap on the number of recreational salmon angling licences on the River Blackwater; and if not, whether consideration will be given to introducing one. [34838/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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There is no cap in place on the number of recreational salmon angling licences which may be issued in Ireland.

That said, and more importantly in the context of the sustainability of the species, there are restrictions on the number of salmon that anglers can catch and keep, and which rivers are permitted to open for salmon angling. These measures are set annually based on scientific advice.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (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 Technical Expert Group on Salmon (TEGOS) comprising of scientists from a range of organisations. Scientific and management assessments of each of the distinct stocks, including in the Blackwater river system are carried out every year with IFI engaged in extensive stock monitoring which feeds into the scientific committee's annual reviews. Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations are made each year and are based on my consideration of these individual annual scientific assessments of Ireland's salmon rivers.