Rally urges Government to end salmon drift netting

MORE than 4,000 anglers from all over the country delivered a strong message to the Government at the weekend - end drift netting for salmon now.

What was said to be the biggest ever assembly of anglers took place outside the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis, at the Gleneagle Hotel, Killarney. The Government was told it was time it took issue by the ‘scruff of the neck’.

Minister of State for the Marine Pat The Cope Gallagher and Tourism Minister John O’Donoghue did not address the rally. Instead, they spoke briefly with and accepted a letter of protest from Niall Greene, chairman of Stop Now.

Up to 200 drift net fishermen held a separate protest outside the Ard Fheis.

Anglers claim that salmon stocks are being decimated by huge drift nets at sea, with and ever-declining number of fish getting up rivers as a result.

Last week, the Joint Oireachtas Committee for the Marine and Natural Resources recommended the ending of drift netting and a compensation package for drift netters.

Several international organisations were represented at the rally. Amongst the speakers was Orri Vigfusson, from Iceland, chairman of the North Atlantic Salmon Fund (NASF), who has been involved in negotiations for the buy-out of drift net licences in several other countries.