Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 Feb 1997

Vol. 475 No. 4

Written Answers. - Draft Net Fishing.

Mary Wallace

Question:

281 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for the Marine the reason draft net fishermen were completely unrepresented on the Salmon Task Force Committee; if this imbalance on the advisory committee explains the imbalance in the new conservation proposals which are in danger of putting draft net fishermen out of business and which are out of all proportion in relation to the impact that draft net fishing has on the salmon stock; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that draft new fishing has its own inbuilt conservation in view of the fact that fishermen can only fish 30 hours per week out of 168 hours since this type of fishing is governed by the tides, that fishermen can only fish in low water and there is a further inbuilt conservation in that the legal limit is 30-40 yards less that the river width; if the existing automatic conservation in the draft net fishing business was brought to his attention before he agreed to the current changes; if so, the reason and the way in which he agreed to a total imbalance against draft net fishermen; and if he will make a statement on the matter in relation to the possibility of urgently redressing the situation in the current season by allowing the draft net fishermen to fish from 1 April 1997 on a five day week instead of from 15 May 1997 on a four day week to retain their livelihoods as draft fishermen in view of the fact that the current proposal reduces their working year drastically from six months to ten weeks. [4888/97]

Mary Wallace

Question:

282 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for the Marine if he will meet three representatives of the Boyne draft net fishermen as a matter of urgency in view of the drastic impact of the Salmon Task Force Committee's recommendations on their livelihoods. [5057/97]

Minister for the Marine (Mr. Barrett)

I propose to answer Questions Nos. 281 and 282 together. The Salmon Management Task Force was established late in 1995 because of concern about the serious decline in salmon stocks. The task force members were appointed in an individual capacity, as an expert group with a mandate to consult widely with all the fishery interests with a view to recommending practical proposals on future salmon management strategies.

The task force undertook wide ranging regional consultation with all the relevant interests, including draft netsmen, and received over 230 submissions from the various sectors. The task force report endorsed the need for a rebalance of the salmon catch between the various sectors and for a new approach to salmon management.

Since the report was published, there have been further consultations at regional level and meetings with the key sectoral interests.

The new conservation regulations introduced for the 1997 season complete the first phase of implementing the recommendations of the task force. There has been, at home and abroad, general acceptance that the measures introduced for 1997 are necessary. The measures contain gains as well as losses for the different sectors in the interest of optimising the resource itself. For example, the significant restrictions introduced on drift nets, particularly in respect of sea area and days fished will bring benefits for draft net fishermen through improved returns of salmon to the estuaries.

In view of expressed concerns about the specific and localised impact on the draft net fishery of the new conservation measures, it has already been decided not to restrict these tidally dependant fisheries to daylight hours only. The weekend close period has also been staggered between the drift and draft-net fisheries which will allow the draft netsmen one clear day each week when there is no drift net activity.

In addition to actively encouraging a local catchment management approach to cater for specific needs in each area, the overall concerns and needs of the draftnets men and others engaged in the estuarial salmon fishery are currently being assessed from all relevant perspectives — and there will be further consultations on the matter. The concerns of the Boyne fishermen will be encompassed in this process of review and consultation.