Allister demands action by Dublin on drift nets
17 June 2005
In the Fisheries Committee in Brussels Jim Allister has called for the Republic of Ireland to desist from promise and move towards meaningful action in ending the devastation being wrought to recreational salmon fishing by the continuance of drift nets on the West coast of Ireland.
A presentation to the Committee by the North Atlantic Salmon Fund demonstrated that the Irish drift nets are radically reducing the numbers of mature salmon returning, not just to the rivers of Ireland and GB, but also to France and Spain.
During the resulting debate, Mr Allister clashed with Fainna Fail member Sean O'Neachtain, over the inadequacy of the Republic's response. Mr Allister pointed out that though Dublin had promised action for years, it had done nothing, whereas in Northern Ireland a buy-out scheme had been successfully implemented, yet rivers linked to the West coast, such as the Erne, were continuing to suffer a fall in salmon stocks because of their drift nets.
Mr Allister has already raised this issue with the Fisheries Commissioner and has been promised a review of possible action following the conduct of a survey during this summer. It is hoped that the debate in the Fisheries Committee will add to the pressure on the Dublin Minister, Pat 'the Cope' Gallagher, to finally take effective action.
