If anyone was wondering why our salmon numbers are still falling, they only have to read the comments by chairman of the National Salmon Commission, Mr Joey Murrin in the Irish Times on the 8th February 2005.

Mr Murrin told The Irish Times "If the Government has EUR80 million to spare, hospital beds and the health service represent a much greater priority for such expenditure" and went on to welcome a statement from the Minister of State for the Marine, Mr Pat 'the Cope' Gallagher, that there would be no buyout during the lifetime of this Government.

Anyone who knows and has observed Joey Murrin over the years has heard him promote sustainabilty and conservation of stocks. But his actions and support for such government policy of unsustainability proves once again that why our fishing ports are now paying the high costs of this greed.

As chair of the National Salmon Commission the salmon anglers of this country are entitled to fair and equal treatment, without such blatant anti salmon conservation comments as Department fo the Marine Ministers have so often expressed in the past. The sooner Mr Murrin realises that the anglers of this country are the victims and not the cause of this problem, then the sooner we are likely to see some prorgress in the protection of the wild Atlantic salmon.