IRISH ANGLERS ON THE FISSTA EXECUTIVE WELCOMED A NEW REPORT THAT CONFIRMS THAT WILD SALMON IS VALUED AT TEN TIMES MORE IF CAUGHT BY A ROD THAN NETTED. IT PROVES OUR CLAIMS ONCE AGAIN THAT THE GOVERNMENT POLICY OF NETTING HAS FAILED TO MANAGE THE POTENTIAL OF OUR WILD ATLANTIC SALMON RESOURCE.

John Browne TD, Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, welcomed a new report into the future of wild salmon and promised that the authorities would consult extensively with fishermen, anglers and tourism interests in the coming months.

The report main findings are that:
" The new value of a wild salmon caught on a rod is €423.00, while a netted one is only worth a measly €22. To date over 95% of the national catch is taken by commercial netting while only under 5% of Salmon are taken by rod and line. The rod fishery can yield ten times more in value to the economy than commercial netting while still able to sustain the stocks. (Last year and in 2001, in a pre budget submission FISSTA estimated the value of our angling tourism business could achieve up to €80m if the nets ceased. Both FISSTA and NASF (North Atlantic Salmon Fund) were ridiculed by many interest groups represented on the National Salmon Commission as being way over the top.)
" This new report from a company called INDECON values the Irish fishery at €146m if 50% of nets were phased out by 2005. However, this effectively values the fishery at well over €200m. This confirms that the inaction to buy out the nets has cost us all a huge amount and proves our CFB have failed to reap the true potential of our resource.
" The Minister now states that "To do nothing is not an option" but having resisted the calls from FISSTA to put any one of these conservation measures in place, has already lost the state exchequer well over €1 billion.
" Such findings from an independent body deserves urgent action now before this season commences on Monday 2nd June. The delay in releasing this report since its publication in March confirms that the continued delay to take any action for another season will be to the detriment of the wild salmon.
FISSTA calls on the Minister to sign into law immediately his Government's pre election promise announced to FISSTA and the international community in January 2002 at the IASC Awards in Galway. This was to introduce individual non transferable quotas for commercial netsmen just like the quotas imposed on anglers on the 1st January this year.