Last January 10th 2002 the then Minister for the Marine, Mr Frank Fahey TD, announced that the National Salmon Commission (NSC) had been ordered to set quotas for the different districts. He said that the quotas could not be transferred between individual fishermen. He also admitted: "It is clear from the scientific advice that reductions in overall fishing effort are required to sustain and rebuild salmon stocks." But sadly, these words were never put into action and by the time the May election was won and the netting season opened in June, the commercial fishermen were not just awarded with more salmon quota than they could ever catch, but the individual non-transferrable quota, which Minister Fahey promised, was never implemented. The silence from all members of the National Salmon Commission including Chairman Joey Murrin confirmed their helplessness in what was just another one, in the litany of broken promises to FISSTA and the international salmon coalition.
As the National Salmon Commission once again meets today to draw up advisory recommendations for Minister Browne, one objective must not be conveniently forgotten about ever again. That only a "individual non-transferrable quota" be introduced, as promised in the General election of last May 2002. Anything less from this new Government and Minister will herald another term of delay and continue a policy in the annual over exploitation of over 400,000 salmon by the commercial sector. The success of the pre Xmas 2001 campaign run by FISSTA was a crucial factor along with the formation of an international North Atlantic Salmon Fund Coalition that highlighted Ireland's indifference to the damage its netting policy was doing to its European partners and asked the European Commission for measures to remedy the situation. Following a high profile campaign during December 2001, the Minister was forced to announce these concessions on the 10th January 2002 which included the individual non-transferrable quota for the commercial sector. However, while the commercial netsmen succeeded in overturning this conservation decision last year, FISSTA will refuse to accept such similar treatment this season.
The first act of this new Minister was the introduction on Christmas Eve 2002 of a 73% increase in the rod license fee without any consultation or conservation measures, which enraged every member of the Federation of Irish Salmon and Seatrout Anglers. The 20 salmon individual non transferable quota on every rod by Junior Minister John Browne, T.D. broke yet another election promise given in writing to FISSTA that "there would be no quotas on anglers". The time is long overdue for the Minister to conserve stocks by imposing the very same quota on netsmen as he has done on anglers. Anything less than the introduction of an individual non-transferrable quota will result in a backlash from both local and international salmon conservation bodies. Attempts will continue by FISSTA to convince the Government to end this over exploitation policy and protect an international resource which Government scientists estimate the run to be around 500,000 salmon and which is decreasing rapidly. FISSTA will continue to fight for salmon conservation until an agreed buyout of the commercial nets is operating satisfactory.