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FISSTA AGM - 2003 Dear Secretary, The Annual General Meeting of the Federation of Irish Salmon and Sea Trout Anglers took place before a record attendance in Athlone on Sunday. on November 23, with Chairman Noel Carr presiding. The meeting was addressed by Guest Speakers Orri Vigfusson, chairman, North Atlantic Salmon Fund and Des Crofton, Director, National Association Regional Game Councils. Outgoing chairman Noel Carr told the meeting that this was his tenth FISSTA AGM and in that time he said that angling had deteriorated greatly in spite of much hard work. “In the past three years, as chairman, I am sad to say that regulations on tagging and quotas for anglers have taken the sport out of angling. An angler is now confined to taking one fish a day, while the netsmen, with the blessing of the Department of the Marine, continue to take 95 per cent of the salmon harvest,’’ said Mr. Carr, who told the meeting that there was considerable disappointment among anglers that a single non-transferable quota was not introduced for the netting sector. Mr. Carr told his audience that 2003 was a year in which there was cohesion and unity of purpose within FISSTA and it had been a joy to chair the many meetings of the Executive Committee. No FISSTA Representative on National Salmon Commission Referring to the continuing disenfranchisement of FISSTA in being denied a voice on the National Salmon Commission, Mr. Carr said that this was an outrage, an affront by the Department of the Marine to democracy and the denial of the democratic rights of every member of Ireland’s premier salmon and sea trout organisation to be represented on this national forum. This offensive outrage cannot continue and must be challenged head-on by the incoming Executive said Mr. Carr. The outgoing Chairman went on to describe the NSC as a netsmen’s club and referred to the broken promises of former Marine Minister Frank Fahey. “It is clear that what has emanated from the NSC since its inception is that this body is a netsmen’s club. Why have the promises given by Minister Frank Fahey been conveniently forgotten?’’ asked Mr. Carr, who listed some of those promises, including the guarantee that Fahey gave in writing on May 24, 2000, when he stated: “My overriding policy objective is to increase returns of salmon, thus enhancing the availability of stocks for tourism and domestic sport angling to the national benefit. ‘‘ I have therefore invited the Commission to reflect in its future considerations the policy objective of incrementally increasing, within sustainable limits, the absolute amount of salmon available to recreational angling. This means that there will be no quota imposed on recreational angling,’’ said Mr. Fahey. The outgoing chairman stated that it was time for the present Minister and his Department to honour this promise. Joint Oireachtas Committee on Fish Farming The AGM heard that the FISSTA presentation to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Fish Farming by Chairman Noel Carr on November 5, 2003, was very well received. FISSTA was the only angling body to make a presentation before that committee. Since this hearing, FISSTA has consulted many concerned groups and will be presenting a clear-cut document outlining their views to a follow-up meeting of that Joint Oireachtas Committee. Buy-out of salmon nets FISSTA remains in the forefront of the campaign to buy out salmon netting licences. “Our policy since 1990, as a founding member of NASF, is to support and encourage that buy-out, using Orri Vigfusson as an honest broker,’’ said Mr. Carr. Secretary’s Address The address of Hon. Secretary Mr Billy Smyth was read by Vice-Chairman Jerome Dowling, as Billy was unable to attend due to health reasons. In a wide ranging report, Mr Smyth stated: ‘’At our last AGM we heard a warning from the Donegal delegates on the attempted take-over by the CFB of club waters under a new version of Catchment Management. In April this year a professional consultant was hired to implement the plan, against the clubs’ clear wishes. This involved tactics which were last deployed in the rod war of the late eighties, ably assisted by some people we depended on for support.’’ Mr. Symth continued: ‘’Thankfully, our Donegal colleagues won out, as the Bonner Plan was rejected on Monday, October 20, in its present format. We commend all the Executive and the Donegal Game Anglers’ Federation for achieving this victory, which confirms once again that our angling waters on this island should never be taken for granted until security of tenure is won for all anglers. This will happen when we win back our waters. To that end, the focus is still on the fight for the seven-year leases for Kerry, announced by three Ministers in April, 2002, but these leases have not been delivered to-date,’’ said Mr. Smyth. The outgoing secretary told the meeting that the Executive Committee had a most productive year despite the setbacks in the salmon world. ‘’The harmony that was evident this year will allow us build a stronger body to achieve further progress. We must seek to strengthen our lobbying power and co-ordinate policy on angling issues. ‘’I am delighted that we have joined with the now five Federation strong Angling Council of Ireland and I am hopeful that this will lead to the long-awaited unification of anglers which outside forces have prevented from happening until now. ‘’No longer should the Government be allowed to introduce a restrictive angling regime which ruins our sport, while the Minister continues to ignore the huge damage the commercial nets are doing,’’ concluded Mr. Smyth’s report. Vigfusson Address Chairman of the North Atlantic Salmon Fund, Orri Vigfusson, thanked FISSTA for inviting him to address their AGM for the third consecutive year. He thanked the Federation for their tremendous efforts in raising awareness of the destructive nature of driftnetting and for helping his organisation on the international scene. “We have demanded from Ireland a right to share in the management of the coastal fisheries, based on our rights under the United Nations Law of the Sea, Article 66,’’ said Mr. Vigfusson. He said that in the past year they had intended giving more time to the Irish problem, but events elsewhere meant that they had to concentrate on Northern Ireland and North-East England and that concentration has borne fruit with the buy-out of the majority of nets in these areas, said Mr. Vigfusson. “We will be concentrating our efforts on the Irish problem in 2004 and with the help of the international community, who are now focusing on Ireland as the major obstacle to the conservation of our wild salmon, we are hopeful that a successful outcome will be achieved in the near future,’’ said Mr. Vigfusson. He concluded by telling the meeting that there could be no restoration of salmon stocks in Europe unless the mixed stock fisheries are eliminated and he urged FISSTA to continue its good work to attain that goal. Crofton address Mr. Des Crofton, Director, NARGC, addressed the meeting on the benefits a full-time director would bring to an organisation. Such benefits are higher output from the Federation as a whole, tighter units, improved information gathering, consistency of approach, issues tracked, facilitated development, structured administration and building of partnership with Government officials and media. He said one of the benefits would be a bigger profile nationally and a professional projection of views. Mr. Crofton dealt with many pertinent questions from a very interested audience and concluded by explaining how NARGC had in the past agreed a national deal on security of tenure with the State body of the day, Coillte. He said that NARGC agreed with Coillte that all sitting tenants held their rights at an agreed rate for a set period, with subsequent re-negotiations taking inflation into consideration. He acknowledged the support and cooperation of FISSTA in lobbying the key decision makers, and cited the excellent pre election meeting in Galway in April 2002 when Minister Fahey had to account to his own electorate for his actions on the key issues. The result was decisive and a complete angling victory at that time. Chairman Noel Carr thanked Mr. Crofton for his valued advice and said the FISSTA Executive will, in future representations with the Department of the Marine or the Central Fisheries Board, be mindful of the NARGC successful model. Tributes and Presentation to Noel Carr Glowing tributes from the floor were paid to the outgoing Chairman Noel Carr, who, under the FISSTA Constitution, was obliged to step down, having completed a very fruitful three-year term as Chairman. In acknowledgement of his three years of successful stewardship at the helm of FISSTA nationally, and especially for his many journeys made to Kerry and his continued support for Killarney Valley anglers in their just war against an unacceptable proposed take-over by Catchment Management of club waters on the river Laune, Mr. Carr was presented with a fly rod and reel by Mr. John Buckley, Chairman Killarney Valley Angling Federation for his continued solidarity and support for the cause of the Killarney Valley Anglers. Journalist of the Year Award The FISSTA Journalist of the Year Award was presented by Orri Vigfusson, Chairman of the North Atlantic Salmon Fund at the annual general meeting in Athlone to Robert Gillespie, of the Irish Anglers’ Digest. Mr. Gillespie received the award for, according to the citation: “Your honest and accurate reporting of the issues and news pertaining to the sport of angling in which you have written the ‘Robert Gillespie Column’. Your contribution to our sport serves once again as a barometer of feeling for all genuine anglers. To all of us who hold the conservation of the salmonid species dear to our hearts, we appreciate your ability to grasp the story and tell it in your own colourful, but always accurate way.’’ MOTIONS 1. Any member going forward for an officer position must have three years served on the Executive Committee. Proposed by: Lee Salmon Anglers. Motion failed to be carried. 2. If the Minister does not withdraw the 20 fish quota on anglers and does not keep the written guarantee given to FISSTA by Frank Fahey, TD, ‘’that there would be no quotas on anglers”, then there should be no fishing for the coming year. Proposed by: Lee Salmon Anglers. Motion withdrawn in favour of the EC putting forward new proposal at next Executive Meeting. 3. There should be an administration charge on the insurance for each member of 50 cents or €1. The Federation should not be struggling for money with the number of members it has. Proposed by: Lee Salmon Anglers. Motion withdrawn in favour of the EC putting forward new proposal at next Executive Meeting. 4. Since the Chairman is elected annually at the AGM, it is felt that the three- year limit on his retaining office serves no purpose and should be abolished. Proposed by: Clonmel & District Anglers. Motion failed to be carried on a vote. 5. That FISSTA continue to give full backing for the renewal of seven-year leases to Kerry clubs as guaranteed by three Government Ministers in April, 2002. Security of tenure being vital for every club. (Fuller version from Lough Lein Anglers). Motion carried without opposition.
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