Body praises salmon stocks plan

AN international organisation yesterday backed a Fine Gael blueprint aimed at both safeguarding and utilising wild salmon stocks more economically.

The North Atlantic Salmon Fund (NASF), which is highly critical of Irish conservation policies, welcomed proposals to offer voluntary compensation to commercial salmon fishermen.

The proposed buy-out or setting aside of commercial licences, for a period of three years, is a core element of Fine Gael’s five-point plan to sustain stocks.

NASF chairman Orri Vigfússon said yesterday that the thrust of the party’s argument was excellent.

“This document would help to bring Ireland in from the cold in a European context, as current Government policies are on the wrong side of conservation,” Mr Vigfússon said.

He said the proposed salmon charter, Sustaining our Salmon Stocks, would also send out a strong signal to Spain, France and Britain that Ireland was serious about controlling the commercial exploitation of salmon and allowing stocks, which originate in Iceland and the Faroe Islands, to reach other EU states.

“Through improved conservation measures, there is huge potential for tourism angling in Ireland,” said Mr Vigfússon.

Over the past 10 years, angling tourism in Ireland has significantly declined, he added.

Launching the Fine Gael document, Deputy John Perry called the proposed salmon charter “an honest attempt to take decisive action”.

He accused the Government of failing to act on international concerns over conservation.

“Under the Fine Gael plan, the dire state of our salmon stocks and our angling tourism industry will finally be addressed after years of neglect,” he said.

Mr Perry, party spokesman on the marine, said the plan’s objective was to urge commercial netsmen to either stop fishing indefinitely or to set aside their nets for three years.

The policy document also foresees the setting up of an independent body to advance its compensation and licence set-aside proposals.

“Compensation payments would be tax free and would result in a reduction in the Total Allowable Catch commensurate with the quota allocated to the nets man availing of the scheme,” he said.

The Fine Gael document also advocates empowering sea fishery officers to police inland waterways and administer the new scheme, along with concerted interdepartmental action on water pollution.

Other key elements of the policy would see the National Salmon Commission addressing the commercial development of Irish salmon and enhancing the national brand, whilst paying heed to scientific advice.