In May of this year I had the pleasure of speaking at the launch of a book by Dr. Martin O'Grady on the management of Ireland's salmonid fisheries and I am sure that the survey being launched this evening by the Southern Regional Fisheries Board and Dr. O'Grady on the Suir River will be a very valuable reference in the ongoing rehabilitation of the Suir catchment in the years ahead.
Successive Irish Governments have long since recognised the value of the inland fisheries sector to our economy and significant investment has been made, through the Fisheries Boards, to ensure its conservation and protection, and the development of the sector into one which can be exploited by us all on a sustainable and shared basis.
The River Suir and its tributaries is the largest river system in Ireland and I am delighted to see from! the survey that this investment has lead to major improvements in the ecological status of sections of the catchment, and overall a good degree of stability in the systems since the previous survey in the early 1980's. I understand that this is potentially the largest salmon producing system in Ireland.In this regard, you will all be aware how the wild salmon fishery will be required to comply with the scientific advice and the Habitats Directive from next year by focusing on the surplus of fish returning to Irish home waters and destined for rivers meeting their conservation limits.
Compliance with the scientific advice will be achieved by the cessation of exploitation of mixed stocks of fish, which are not reaching their conservation limits for a variety of reasons, which of course includes the Suir catchment.You will also be aware that that the measures to be introduced for conservation reasons will mean hardship for some. I appointed an Independent Group to make rec! ommendations on the options to address any financial hardship arising for individuals involved in commercial salmon fishing from full compliance with the scientific advice for 2007. I expect to receive the report and recommendations of the Independent Group by the end of September, for submission to Government soon thereafter.
Along with the advice of the Standing Scientific Committee of the National Salmon Commission and the National Fisheries Management Executive (including your own Brian Sheerin), I expect to put in place, with appropriate Oireachtas approval, the necessary statutory instruments to manage the 2007 fishery before the end of the year.
While the cessation of exploitation of salmon in the catchment will facilitate a return to conservation limits, the survey report will assist in addressing the other impacts on fish stocks.
The Southern Board, in conjunction with a number of local bodies along the catchment, including the Clonmel River Tourism Committee, Tipperary Heritage and North Tipperary County Council, has underta! ken a series of development and remedial works which have contributed to this improvement, and I commend them for this.
The successful conduct of this study is also attributable to the cooperation that the Southern board received from their colleagues in the Shannon, Western and North Western Boards whose staff and special electro-fishing equipment helped to complete the Survey.
The survey identifies a number of issues that require attention in order to continue this trend and I am sure that the information contained in it will provide the Southern Regional Fisheries Board with the information it needs in order identify the appropriate courses of action to address each of the issues.
I would like to congratulate the Southern Regional Fisheries Board, Dr. O'Grady and his team in the Central Fisheries Board and all those who contributed to the production of this survey.
Congratulations again to Brian and all concerned.
ENDS