Minister plans commercial wild salmon quotas

The Department of the Marine last night announced that commercial catches of wild salmon are going to be sharply restricted.

Drift-net fishing for salmon is to be governed by a quota system that will be introduced in June this year. The move is an effort to preserve Ireland’s wild salmon stocks, which environmental groups warn are severely depleted.

Under the quota system, commercial fishermen will be given a specific number of tags depending on the district or coastal zone in which they work. These quotas will not be transferable, and no individual property right will be created.

Explaining the move, Minister for the Marine Mr Fahey said that sustaining viable future salmon stocks depended on reducing fishing levels across the board.

He said that although volumes would reduce, the returns would increase following a marketing strategy focusing on the quality of the product.

Mr Fahey rejected compensation proposals in the form of buying out commercial fishing operations. These net operators catch about 90 per cent of all salmon fished in Irish waters.

Anglers in the recreational sector already face a bag limit of one fish per angler before June 2002 and a ban on the sale of rod-caught salmon is in place.