Government ‘had no choice’ over salmon net ban

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern last night said he had no choice but to wipe out drift-net salmon fishing, but insisted he understood the concerns of those people whose livelihoods have been ruined by the decision.

Mr Ahern said the Government was faced with a position were it had to move otherwise there would soon be no salmon left to catch.

“We could not ignore the scientific advice of experts because traditional Irish salmon would become non-existent,” he said.

Fine Gael marine spokesperson John Perry TD said his party now accepted the ban, but stressed the Government had neglected the sector for several years.

“We have argued that a voluntary scheme would have reduced the number of drift-net fishermen by 80%, reduced the total catch by 80% and would have had the effect of putting our salmon stocks on a sustainable footing. The remaining 20%, we believed, could then have been effectively controlled with shortened seasons, reduced quotas and effective monitoring.

“However, Fine Gael now accepts the decision taken by the Government to ban drift net fishing on foot of scientific advice in relation to salmon stocks,” he said.

Mr Perry added the €25 million hardship fund for the 877 licence holders must be handled with sympathy. “The real issue for the sector is how this decision will be implemented and how it will be policed.

“The recent track record of this Government does not provide much scope for optimism,” Mr Perry said.

“They have consistently down-graded and under-resourced our very important marine industry.

“Despite earlier warnings about the impact of drift-net fishing, this Government has not only ignored the issue but has consistently increased the quotas for driftnet fishermen.

“Drift-net fishing for salmon is just one of many interconnected issues that if left unattended to, will result in the continued decline of the sector that we have witnessed over the last nine years,” he said.