At its meeting in Birr on 27 June the executive of the Federation of Irish Salmon and Sea Trout Anglers (FISSTA) reaffirmed their determination to make the cessation of drift net exploitation of wild salmon its top priority as a campaigning issue until the objective is achieved.

“There is now a strong mood among anglers, supported by fishery owners and angling tourism interests, that drift netting must cease immediately” said Mr Ed Power, Chair of the Executive of FISSTA, in announcing the campaign. “As the largest national federation representing salmon anglers there is an obligation on FISSTA to give leadership to a coherent campaign to have the drift nets removed”.

“This year a quota of 161,000 salmon has been awarded to the commercial nets by the Department of the Marine but we know from previous years that the actual total exploitation will be in excess of 300,000” Mr Power continued. “The discrepancy between the authorised and the actual figure is explained by the inability of the Fishery Boards and the Naval Service to properly police the industry and by seal predation of fish in the nets. This level of exploitation is vastly in excess of the best scientific advice and must be seen in the context of a total flow of some 500,000 salmon along the Irish coast each year”.

“Drift net fishing at sea is not only putting the future of Irish salmon at risk but it also constitutes a plundering of fish destined for rivers in England, Wales, France, Germany and Spain most of which pass through our waters. It is an embarrassment that the Irish Government has been the target of well argued complaints made to the European Commission about its failure to follow other countries in banning drift nets.

Earlier this month at a special session of NASCO1 in Iceland, the Republic of Ireland were forced to defend this indefensible policy, as they are now the only country in Europe that permits this form of salmon fishing, Northern Ireland Fisheries Conservancy Board area having abandoned driftnets last year, which was made possible with NASF (North Atlantic Salmon Fund) funding”, said Mr Power.

FISSTA will be launching its “End Drift Nets Now” campaign in conjunction with its 150 affiliated angling associations, with regional angling organisations that are being formed to campaign locally for a ban and in consort with fishery management and tourism interests. FISSTA Executive Member Niall Greene is to head a four person steering group within the federation to spearhead the campaign. “Our first task will be to agree a joint plan of campaign in consultation with other organisations and then to implement it relentlessly until the government sees the light on this issue”, Mr Greene said. “There are some 840 drift net licences available but a quarter of these account for 75% of the total catch. Given the fact that an salmon caught by an angler is worth up to ten times more to the economy than a net caught one it should not a difficult argument to make that drift netting should cease forthwith and that the resources can be generated to ensure that hardship does not result for redundant netsmen”.

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