EU Confirms End To Irish Drift Nets

[wilbert]

EU confirms Ireland will end drift netting for salmon





“Ireland has given a firm commitment to meet scientific advice in 2007 which means that fisheries will only take place in estuaries and rivers on stocks which have been shown to be above their conservation limit” the head of the EU delegation, Mr Alan Gray told the annual meeting of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation held in Saariselka, Finland on Thursday, 8 June. The statement was included in the official record of the meeting.



Commenting on the announcement, Niall Greene, chair of Stop Salmon Drift Nets Now said that “We welcome this further affirmation of the Irish government’s intention to end drift netting at the conclusion of the current season. The 2006 report of the Standing Scientific Committee of the National Salmon Commission has made it clear that the continuation of mixed stock fishing (drift netting and some draft netting) is incompatible with a science based approach to the management of our salmon stocks. Taken together with the need to respect Ireland’s obligations to manage our salmon stocks in accordance with the terms of the EU Habitats’ Directive, this latest statement from the EU is of particular significance”.



NOTE FOR EDITORS:



NASCO is an intergovernmental organisation comprising all countries in the North Atlantic area which have significant salmon populations. It has developed standards for the management of salmon and monitors the status of stocks. At its meeting in Finland the organisation adopted a new approach to multi-annual national plans for implementing its agreements which involves each government reporting publicly on the outcome of its efforts. In addition, NASCO confirmed its commitment to the SALSEA project which is designed to establish the causes of increasing mortality rates among salmon at sea.



Dr Ken Whelan of Ireland’s Marine Institute was reelected chairman of NASCO for a further two years. In addition to Irish government representatives attending as part of the EU delegation Ireland was resented in the NGO delegation by Noel Carr of the Federation of Irish Salmon and Seatrout Anglers, Paddy Byrne of the National Anglers Representational Association and Niall Greene of Stop Salmon Drift Nets Now.

[exerod]

Great news, now lets just hope they stick to their "firm commitment".

Andy

[wilbert]

NASCO throws Lifeline to Western Atlantic Salmon!



The Irish Republic has given a commitment to abide by scientific advice and only fish commercially for salmon stocks which are above their conservation limit and targeted in estuaries and rivers. The new policy will start in 2007, so closing the damaging Irish coastal drift net fishery.



This statement was given by Alan Gray, Head of the EU Delegation at the annual meeting of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO), held in Saariselka, Lapland (Northern Finland) on Thursday, 8 June, and was included in the official record of the meeting.



The EU’s statement brings further hope that the mixed stock drift net fishery operated in the Republic’s coastal waters, which intercepts fish from England, Wales and SW Scotland as well as many other European rivers struggling to re-establish salmon populations, is at last coming to a close, following years of lobbying by a wide range of Non Government Organisations (NGOs) from Ireland and all the other salmon-producing nations affiliated to NASCO.



The NGOs enjoyed their greatest influence in the 23 year history of NASCO. Accepted as a NASCO partner for the first time, with their Chairman, Chris Poupard (former S&TA Director), sitting at the top table alongside Heads of Delegation from all the NASCO Parties, the NGOs had a full input to all the issues discussed at the meeting.



The NASCO NGOs, including S&TA, also called for all other mixed stock fisheries still operated within the UK to be closed. The NGOs stated that the efficient management of salmon populations can only be effected on single stocks from individual rivers. All parties have signed the NASCO resolution to end mixed stock fisheries within their coastal waters, and they should now stand by that commitment.





Apart from the Irish drift nets, the most important issue debated was that of Implementation Plans, whereby all Parties will produce programmes of measures to manage and conserve salmon stocks within their jurisdiction. These plans will then be reviewed by an ad hoc group, which will include representatives from the NGOs, to monitor progress on an annual basis, thereby overcoming the accusation that NASCO Parties could renege on management commitments without fear of retribution at following meetings.



S&TA Director Paul Knight, who was attending his fifth annual NASCO meeting, said, “there was a real feeling this year that NASCO was entering a new, transparent working atmosphere, with the NGOs at last being accepted as partners in the fight to improve salmon stocks throughout the Northern hemisphere. The EU commitment to closing the Irish drift net fishery from 2007 was an indication of a heightened willingness to action rather than just talk, and we look forward to the Parties’ Implementation Plans carrying this commitment to all the issues currently jeopardising salmon populations.”

NASCO’s SALSEA project, which looks to research salmon in the marine stage of their life, will form the bedrock of scientific work for the future. This is the vision of NASCO President, Ken Whelan, and follows on the successful voyages undertaken by Scottish and Norwegian research vessels in 2005, carrying out work part-funded by the UK NGO, the Atlantic Salmon Trust. The NASCO Board pledged funds for further SALSEA research, and the NGOs agreed to work closely with the Parties in identifying further funding streams for future work.



ENDS



Notes for Editors
NASCO is an inter-governmental organisation comprising all countries in the North Atlantic area which have significant salmon populations. Originally established to set quotas for the fisheries around Greenland and the Faroe Islands, it has since developed standards for the management of salmon and monitors the status of stocks through commissions with the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES). NASCO now debates all issues of relevance to salmon management and conservation and, in particular, has signed all Parties up to resolutions covering the Precautionary Principle, the ending of all Mixed Stock Fisheries in home waters and the Williamsburg Resolution, which seeks to reduce the impact of aquaculture on wild salmonid species.



Dr Ken Whelan of Ireland’s Marine Institute was reelected chairman of NASCO for a further two years



The Salmon & Trout Association (S&TA) established in 1903 is the only organisation representing all game anglers in the UK at the highest levels to influence and change Government legislation, policy and management practices to protect and improve the water environment and the quality of fishing. S&TA promotes flyfishing by introducing people of all backgrounds to game angling and communicating the environmental, social and economic benefits of angling.



For further information, please contact the Salmon & Trout Association, on 020 7283 5838

[ceilidh]

The undertakings by the Irish Government, though welcome, are the easy part. It is the implementation which will prove more difficult. Here there real problems, both politically, in terms of ex IRA interests and practically in terms of supervision and enforcement.

[kercock]

Perhaps it is one of the promises made leading up to an election.We all know the results of political promises. I really hope it happens,everyone would benifit,especially the Irish themselves.

[wilbert]

Looks a little more promising!!

Dublin,, 1st November 2006

Noel Dempsey T.D., the Minister for Communications, Marine & Natural Resources, today announced that the Government has adopted the key recommendations of the report by the Independent Working Group on Salmon. The key recommendation of this report is the creation of a hardship fund for those affected by the compulsory buy-out of drift net fishermen.
The Government's primary motivation in adopting the report is that of conservation of the wild salmon species, which has long been regarded as one of Ireland's most prized fish, instilled in our traditional mythology as the Bradán feasa, the salmon of knowledge, and valued as a cultural and economic resource.
Expert scientific advice available shows marine survival of salmon in the North Atlantic has decreased significantly in the past decade. Less than half to one third of the salmon returning to rivers in the 1970s and 1980s are currently returning to Irish rivers. In this regard it is vital to afford every protection to the remaining stocks and to clearly prioritise conservation over catch. The current imperative must be to maintain stocks above conservation limits or at the very least halt the decline.
The Government realise that these proposals will entail hardship for commercial fishermen and vulnerable coastal communities. To offset this they have established a hardship scheme for those affected. This fund, worth over €25 million, will give each fishermen a payment equal to six times their average annual catch over the period 2001-2005 multiplied by the average price per salmon over the period (€23). Each fisherman will also receive a payment equal to six times the current licence fee. Although the scheme is compulsory for drift net fishermen the scheme will also be open to other commercial Salmon fishermen who use nets such as snap and draft.
An additional €5 million fund will be available for a community support scheme. This support scheme is designed to aid the development of those communities where the impact of the cessation of drift netting will be hardest felt and provide alternative employment and economic opportunities for those affected.
From now on we can expect our management of wild salmon will be based on an individual river basis. This is a quantum leap from our previous management of the fishery and will ensure that we can optimise the potential benefit of returning salmon, as well as ensuring that in each river salmon stocks will in time return to a healthy status.
This means that the harvest of salmon, by any means, will be restricted to those stocks of rivers that are judged by the scientific advice as meeting their conservation limits. Commercial fishing and recreational angling can continue only on the scientifically identified exploitable surplus.
However in the region of 68,000 fish that might otherwise have been taken in the at-sea drift-net fishery in 2007 will be available for redistribution to their natal rivers. As a consequence of the redistribution of the foregone at-sea drift-net catch up to ten rivers, which would otherwise not meet their conservation limit in 2007, will now have a surplus over the conservation limit requirement.
The National Salmon Commission, in the context of the report, will now bring forward advice to the Minster on measures for management of the wild salmon fishery in 2007. Regulations governing the management of the 2007 season will be published for public consultation before the end of the year.ENDS
For further media information, please contact:-
Olive Stephens, Press Advisor [phone] / Mobile: [phone]
Ken Cleary, Press Officer: Office [phone] / Mobile: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

[hardygem]

;D This is good news ;D A real step in the right direction and should have a direct positive effect on british west coast rivers .Now if all the extra fish heading for the scottish west coast rivers can only get through the deadly sea lice swarms caused by the fish farms we should see an improvement in numbers returning to some of the badly affected rivers.Hopefully!!

[betanut]

Indeed, the end of the drift netting operations are a step in the right direction
However, I fear that things may be too late for some indigenous stocks of Sea Trout and Salmon on the West Coast due to the salmon farming industry. Those intersted in dealing with this subject (or are unware of how bad the salmon farming business is for our environment) might care to have a look at www.salmonfarmmonitor.org/

[smigel]

I noted this extra info in the Irish Times:
"Salmon fishing by anglers, meanwhile, will be banned in 32 rivers, mostly in the east, from January 1st. However, it will be allowed in 24 others and in a further 10 if the drift-net ban leads to increased numbers of fish returning to rivers."

Does anyone have any more detail?

[easky]

I didn't know that angling was also included in the ban , as you say it will be interesting to get more info on this