27/05/2001  -  FISSTA TO BALLOT CLUBS ON NEW TAGGING MEASURES FROM MINISTER FAHEY

FISSTA agreed to ballot their affiliates following a long discussion at their meeting in Birr on Sat 26th May. A major breakthrough was made in the dispute between the Dept of the Marine and Fissta when Minister Frank Fahey clarified the five concerns with written assurances to anglers after over ten months opposition in which FISSTA campaign undertook protest marches in Kerry, Cork and Galway.

Last August Minister Fahey signed the SI256 Order which meant anglers must tag all rodcaught salmon by law. This was at variance with the previous Salmon Management Task Force agreement which only required commercial netsmen (93% of national catch) to tag as recreational anglers only caught 3%. However, the Review chaired by Harry Lloyd, CEO of the Northern RFB caused major controversy by reccommending anglers tag their fish through a log book system which involved accounting for the anglers movements at every turn. Anglers paid a severe price for having no adequate representation on either body which allowed such ludicrous proposals to be reccommended unhindered from each of the above bodies. This triggered a campaign of protest in which FISSTA sought to address its major conservation fears by seeking concessions from Minister on five major concerns.

In summary, the two main black holes in which salmon could be laundered will effectively be plugged and the dreaded logbook was reduced to recording catch return information as the old rod licence required. A ban on the sale of rod caught fish after the close of the commercial season will ensure that up to 20% of the national catch will be saved from illegal nets this coming season. However, Fissta were still very concerned that despite the Minister's assurance the commercial season as it is at present should not be extended under any circumstances or any impending deal and involvement in the National Salmon Commision would collapse immediately.

The Minister accepted the proposal of the Executive Committee of FISSTA to have a full review of all aspects of the tagging in late September in light of the experience this season. The Minister also agreed to make interim reports on enforcement to FISSTA through the National Salmon Commission so that for the very first time anglers will have an oportunity to pursue follow up reports on specific incidents which were previously went unaccounted.

The Chairman Noel Carr thanked all the Executive Committee who campaigned long and hard from organising marches to lobbying TD's and Senators, and fighting a very strong public relations battle.

FISSTA are now preparing their statement for the NASCO (North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation) conference in Spain in which the Irish Government will be taken to task for beign the only country left allowing the drifnetting of wild Atlantic Salmon. As an angling body who has campaigned for many years to get successive Ministers to pay for the buyout by embracing the NASF methods we find it most dissappointing that no declaration to end mixed stocked fisheries has been made while all other countries have long agreed to conserve the few remaining salmon.

FISSTA OFFICERS.