The Government decisions announced by the Minister of State for the Marine on 24 March, almost without doubt, mark the end of drift netting for salmon and the adoption of a single stock, precautionary approach to the future management of salmon.

The Departments press statement on the issue is set out below in full and you can make your own assessment of it.  Supporting material can be found on www.dcmnr.gov.ie/marine (the draft regime for 2006, etc), on www.cfb.ie (the Standing Scientific Committee’s report and the advice of the National Salmon Commission to the Minister for the Marine) and on www.stopnow.ie (all of the above and more).

There are, undoubtedly, aspects of the announcement which many anglers will find hard to swallow (such as the reduction in anglers tags from 20 to 10 while drift netting continues in 2006).  But on the key, substantive issue the limited terms of reference given to the three man Expert Working Group make it clear that the Government accepts, on the advice of the National Salmon Commission, that the commitment to align with the scientific advice from 2007 means the end of mixed stock/drift net fishing for salmon with the 2006 season.

The Expert Working Group have been asked to report by the end of August on “the options available to address any financial hardship arising for individuals involved in commercial salmon fishing from full compliance with the scientific advice by 2007”.   They have not been asked to readdress the issue of whether mixed stock/drift net fishing should end.

The new situation poses important issues for anglers and fishery owners.  Not the least of these will be their contribution to the cost of the compensation which will be paid to the drift net community as a result of the work of the Expert Working Group.  But there must also be a role for anglers and fishery owners in the design of the future salmon management regime that will ensure that the ending of drift netting results in a massive expansion in spawners and not in a transfer of over exploitation from the seas to the rivers.

In the short-term there are two major issues on which we must remain very vigilant:

• that there is no backsliding by the Government on the decisions they have announced, both explicitly and implicitly, on 24 March;
• and that there is a fair compensation scheme put in place for the exiting drift netters. 

The latter is not only a moral matter but also a pragmatic one because any failure to address the loss of income of drift netters in a generous way will increase the probability illegal fishing continuing. 

We have come a long way in the campaign to end drift netting during the past two years but, even though we think we can see the finishing line, we are not quite there yet.   Keep on campaigning.