Salmon anglers protest as record catch is reported

As anglers gather for a protest in Dublin today on the eve of the new salmon season, this year's recorded catch of the king fish is far higher than predicted by scientists. Some 209,214 salmon were landed officially in 1997, according to figures supplied to the Marine Institute Fisheries Research Centre, almost double the 120,000 predicted by the Salmon Research Agency (SRA).

Statistics supplied by the regional fishery boards show that almost 70 per cent of the fish this year were caught by driftnet, and some 16.4 per cent by rod.

Reported catches derived mainly from purchases and sales recorded by licensed salmon dealers in their registers, but the reliability of this methodology has been questioned.

The task force report recommended that a national database system be initiated by the Marine Institute, the central and regional fishery boards, and commercial and recreational groups to monitor salmon statistics for all sectors.

The task force also noted that a ban on monofilament nets was unenforceable, and acknowledged - for perhaps the first time - the right of coastal communities to a say in the future of the resource.

A protest planned by the Federation of Irish Salmon and Sea Trout Anglers (FISSTA) for Dublin today aims to put further pressure on the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Dr Woods, over the issue. FISSTA, which represents 60 of the leading salmon angling clubs in the Republic, is calling on the Minister to publish a Marine Institute report on implementation of the task force recommendations, including quotas and carcass tagging. It described this year's salmon numbers as a "dramatic decline", despite the statistics.