The Minister of State signed the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations for the 2006 season on the 25 April 2006. Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Regulations 2006
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In doing so, he reaffirmed the Government’s intention to introduce measures to fully align with the scientific advice from the Standing Scientific Committee of the National Salmon Commission (NSC) in 2007.
For Appendix III Report of the Standing Scientific Committee of the National Salmon Commission Implications of adoption of scientific advice, Please click here Appendix 111
Given that the scientific advice (for Appendix 111 see above) is being followed and the precautionary approach fully implemented, then it will have serious implications for drift net fishing.
In this regard the Minister has appointed an Independent Group to examine the implications of alignment with the scientific advice for the commercial salmon fishing sector in 2007 and beyond. The Group will make recommendations on the options available to address any financial hardship arising from full compliance with the scientific advice for 2007. They will also determine the extent to which those stakeholders deriving economic benefit from the decision should contribute to any scheme, whether in cash or in kind including improved tourist access. The Group will report to the Minister within five months, having drawn on the reports already generated through the National Salmon Commission by the National Fisheries Managers Executive (NFME) and the Standing Scientific Committee and undertaking appropriate consultation with relevant stakeholders. (details of terms of reference attached)
In accepting the recommendations of the National Salmon Commission and the National Fishery Managers Executive, the total allowable catch is 91,367 for the commercial sector and 15,000 for angling, thus fully complying with the National conservation limits established by the Standing Scientific Committee.
The Minister of State's decision is in accordance with the advice of the NSC for the 2006 season with the exception of the following:
Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout Bye law No 802 2006
provides for the restriction on the annual angling bag limit of 10 fish per angler for 2006; the NSC recommended a limit of 15 fish per angler. (The lower level is believed to be necessary to contain the total harvest by anglers to 15,000 fish, given that there is there no appreciable reduction in the average angling catch (25,000) over the past five years and in the interest of a balanced treatment of all stakeholders), and
Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout Bye law No 803 2006
provides for the introduction of compulsory catch and release provisions from 1st September until the end of the season in 8 districts which are not meeting conservation limits. CFB Awareness Programme for Salmon & Sea Trout Anglers Catch & Release Mandatory from Sept
. The fishery managers have argued that there is an absolute need to conserve stocks in those districts. Given that commercial fishing ceases in the majority of districts on 31 July, there is no reason why anglers should be allowed to continue to kill fish up to the end of September.
In addition two technical amendments have been incorporated into the 2006 Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Regulations on the advice of the NFME. The amendments provide for (1) the latest date by which logbooks (angling and commercial fishing) should be returned to the fisheries boards and (2) the return of tags with angling logbooks including data in relation to fish caught and released.
The Minister has also approved and incorporated the necessary amendments to the annual Conservation of Salmon and Trout Bye law No 804 2006 to enable draft net fishing with monofilament nets, within the quotas set down for the Cork district in the draft Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations in the 2006 season. This approval was on foot of the results of a pilot study which investigated aspects of draft net fishing in Cork Harbour, conducted over the past three years by the Cork and District Draft Net Fishermens' Association under the direction of the South Western Regional Fisheries Board. This Bye law also prescribes the opening and closing dates and weekly close times for commercial salmon and trout fishing for 2006.
Other Conservation Measures.
The Minister has accepted the NSC recommendation that measures should be considered to deal with the exploitation of multi-sea winter stocks, including consideration of the length of the angling season. The advice of the standing scientific committee in relation to multi sea winter stocks should form part of this consideration. This advice will be considered by the fisheries managers and appropriate measures recommended in time for application in spring 2007.
The NSC also recommended that the standing scientific committee be asked for its advice on the management of sea trout stocks. The Minister expects this advice to be tendered to him over the coming months.
Pilot Studies
The Standing Scientific Committee has indicated that mixed stock fisheries pose particular threats to the status of individual stocks and that fisheries operated in estuaries and rivers are more likely to fulfil national and international obligations.
The NFME has identified a range of pilot projects to facilitate the commercial fishery to move from areas of indiscriminate mixed stock fishery exploitation and to assess catch and release in an Irish context. The feasibility of these projects will be evaluated by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in conjunction with the fisheries boards and the Marine Institute.