The Minister for Communications and the Marine, Noel Dempsey, should be complimented on his rational and courageous stand in steering unpopular - but desperately needed - salmon conservation measures through Cabinet. A political fudge would have contributed to the collapse of our remaining wild salmon stocks and risked heavy fines from the EU.
The pain involved in this conservation programme will be widely spread throughout the community, with many rod anglers being prevented from fishing their local rivers until stocks recover. Such measures prefigure what is required to preserve most other sea fish species, according to the latest scientific findings.
Salmon numbers are so low that, even with a ban on drift-netting, only 34 rivers out of a total of 140 are expected to have a viable population of wild fish in 2007. Endangered rivers are located right around the country, but especially in the east where, in most cases, fewer than 10 salmon are caught each year. Because of that, fishing of any kind will be banned for a time on most Irish rivers.
The catastrophic nature of the situation is a direct consequence of long-term government neglect and political cowardice. Since the late 1970s, salmon catches have fallen precipitously. But little was done because of pressure from commercial fishermen in coastal communities. The use of illegal monofilament nets was first tolerated and then legalised. Scientific advice on viable catch levels was ignored. We were the last country in Europe to permit extensive drift-netting, which indiscriminately kills fish from rivers with healthy populations as well as from those on the brink of disaster. The ending of such "mixed-stock fishing" is the key to recovery.
From next year, river-based management will be introduced. Fishing will only be allowed where stocks are healthy. There is little doubt that these restrictions will draw howls of annoyance and special pleading from those affected anglers, fishery owners and commercial fishermen who take a selfish, short-term view. And, given its recent track record, Fine Gael will probably jump on the bandwagon. Such pressures must be resisted. Like the banning of smoking in public places, salmon conservation requires an all-or-nothing response.
Introducing restrictions is the easy part. Protecting and improving stocks will take time and a great deal of commitment and money. Water quality and spawning streams must be improved. Poaching has to be counteracted. And those who benefit most from conservation measures, be they fishery owners, commercial fishermen or anglers, will have to pay more. The parlous state of stocks is clear from the statistics. Anglers catch less than one fish a year on average and pay almost €1 million in licence fees. Most drift-net fishermen take fewer than 100 salmon in a season. We do not have a viable fishery. This conservation programme amounts to a rescue package for both salmon and most commercial fishermen. In a few short years, no salmon would be left. And then there would be no compensation package.