Sir, - We wish to thank Mr Gregory Forde of the Western Regional Fisheries Board for confirming what salmon farmers always suspected about the attitude of that organisation towards aqua culture. In his letter of May 27th Mr Forde clearly reveals that the WRFB is:
. uncomfortable with the notion of using concrete facts to back up its claims;
. unwilling to even discuss the range of other significant factors which have affected fish stocks in freshwater and at sea;
. unable to produce the unofficial sampling figures requested by ISGA.
Most significantly - and prospective Ministers for the Marine take note - the publicly funded WRFB states that it "cannot wait for official sampling" of sea trout to take place before it issues unverifiable and incorrect missives to the press! The board is denying the Minister, The Sea Trout Management and Advisory Group, the IS, GA and the general public the right to assess the health and status of fish stocks through the agreed, expensive and countrywide sampling programme. An official body is against official sampling!
Is this final point an admission by the WRFB that it accepts there were serious discrepancies in previous years' sampling programmes? An independent report into these discrepancies is due to be published shortly by the Marine Institute. Or is it a reaction to the obstruction of the 1997 sampling by an individual fishery owner who has refused to allow WRFB staff to sample fish on his important river?
Whatever the WRFB's motives for avoiding concrete facts, we are sure that no other business sector in Ireland would lie down and willingly accept the accusations levelled at our industry which have been based on the flimsiest of "evidence" for the past nine years without demanding more solid and verifiable information. Yours, etc.,
Executive Secretary,
Irish Salmon Growers'
Association.
Irish Farm Centre,
Dublin 12.