Sir, - Your editorial ("Conserving salmon", July 18th) lays out many of the compelling reasons for the urgent need to end drift-netting for salmon in Ireland, action which I agree is essential if we are serious about the conservation of our stocks of the wild Atlantic salmon. As you pointed out, Ireland along with Britain are the only North Atlantic countries that have not moved on this issue, which bring us to shame in the international arena.
However, for a buy-out package with compensation to be a voluntary option again would allow the neglect of our salmon to continue. Hoping to encourage netsmen to cease their activities may not be enough. Such a buyout would simply allow a smaller number of boats catch the same amount of salmon, thus doing little for conservation. A buy-out must be obligatory, and must be acted upon before the start of the official salmon netting season in 2001.
As you rightly point out, at this point of a (complete) cessation of the activities of the drift netsmen, rod anglers and fishery owners would have a responsibility to participate in further conservation measures. As rod angling for salmon - and sea-trout - is a sport, not an income generating activity, I have no doubt that genuine anglers would be more conservation-minded in the future, while not overlooking their efforts to date where bag-limits and catch and release is becoming more common on our rivers.
However, we cannot afford to overlook the need for State conservation responsibilities either; current Government allocations to our fishery boards do not allow them to employ sufficient staff to provide adequate protection on the high seas or in the rivers and spawning grounds. A buy-out of licensed drift-nets does not do away with the need for continued surveillance of illegal activities at sea. Similarly, although most rodanglers are law-abiding and conservation-minded, protection staff are required to deal with those people who see the salmon as a source of easy income.
As you state, the Minister for the Marine, Mr Fahey, is in the driving seat and can ensure the survival of an important species. The measures needed have been highlighted. Mr Fahey, it's over to you. - Yours, etc.,
Declan Turnbull, Foxford Salmon Anglers Association, Foxford, Co Mayo.