Following proposals to ban driftnet salmon fishing at sea, chairman of the Government's National Salmon Commission (NSC) Joey Murrin has warned of a black market in "river-caught" wild salmon.
He said such a situation would emerge if the State gave insufficient resources to new management proposals for salmon.
He also accused the angling sector of engaging in "triumphalism" over this week's vote by the commission to ban driftnet fishing for salmon from the end of this season to protect dwindling stocks.
Niall Greene of Stop Salmon Driftnets Now (StopNow) said there had been "no triumphalism", and Minister for the Marine Noel Dempsey "still had to decide on the NSC recommendation".
The decision, regarded as a victory for the StopNow group backed by anglers and private fishery owners, could mean wild salmon will only be caught in estuaries and up-river.
Although anglers are not permitted to sell fish, Mr Dempsey has been informed by the NSC that a black market in rod-caught fish had already developed. This could grow to satisfy restaurateurs and processors of smoked wild salmon.
Last year several hotels and restaurants dropped wild salmon from their menus in support of the campaign to ban driftnetting.
"If the Minister bans driftnetting at sea there is still going to be a demand for wild salmon.
"The price will go up, and he will have to ensure that there are sufficient fishery protection staff inland," said Mr Murrin.
He said sea fishery officers were not empowered to inspect inshore fish. The NSC had recommended several years ago that inspectors not engaged in fishing ports could be deployed to control salmon-catching.
The one-vote majority recommends that Mr Dempsey set up a compensation scheme next year for driftnet fishermen. However, Carmel Lynn of the Traditional Driftnet Association, who is an NSC member, said there was no guarantee that driftnetters would be compensated.
It is understood no specific guarantee was given by Mr Dempsey and his Junior Minister John Browne in a meeting this week with Mr Murrin.
Mr Browne's predecessor, Pat "the Cope" Gallagher, said there would be no State-funded buy-out, and that anglers would have to foot the bill.
"Once driftnetters are forced off the water, who will honour that promise?" Ms Lynn said.
"They had been promised a voluntary buy-out, but now it looks as if the Government has been out-manoeuvred by anglers who don't want to pay any compensation but do want to have control of the resource themselves."
Niall Greene of StopNow accepted there was no guarantee of compensation. The group had always said commercial licence holders should be compensated.
