The Marine Institute has declined to respond to controversy over the findings of the Cowx re port, which it commissioned. It noted the University of Massachusetts' independent view that Dr Cowx, in examining Irish sea trout re search, "responded to the terms of reference in a fair and unbiased manner".
The chief executive of the institute, Dr Peter Heffernan, said its priority was to work with the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources and fisheries boards in "devising new procedures for the collection of reliable, world-class data on sea trout stocks, farmed salmon, wild salmon and the environment in which they live". It was fully committed to the sustainable development of "all marine resources".
Salmon farming and angling/ tourism were vitally important to the communities they serve.
He added: "We will be looking forwards and not backwards in the sea trout debate. In our opinion, it is time that salmon farmers and anglers finally set aside past differences and worked together, with us, in realising Ireland's true potential for wealth and job creation from the sea."
Notwithstanding "indications Cowx may have got a few things wrong", the need for a new level of co-operation was underlined by the Central Fisheries Board's chief executive, Mr John O'Connor.
Once he had examined the board's evaluation of the Cowx report and sea trout monitoring arrangements, the board would issue recommendations. He hoped all parties would "work closely together to protect a very important species for Ireland".
The Irish Salmon Growers' Association, however, said there was no future for Irish sea trout as long as the fisheries boards continued to take a blinkered and backward-looking attitude. Its spokes man, Mr Richard Flynn, said: "No amount of nit-picking can change the fact that without the Cowx investigation, major flaws and errors in sea trout research would have remained hidden."
The Central Fisheries Board, which was throwing up a smoke screen, "cannot hide the fact that no evidence has ever been produced to prove the case against our industry". The Cowx report was an accurate reflection of "the inept and wasteful witch-hunt against salmon farms by certain State bodies and private landlords".
