Submission from
The Southern Regional Fisheries Board,
to the
Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural
Resources.
Subject:
Salmon Review
MARCH 2005
CONTENTS
1. Overview of Region.
2. Recommendations for the successful management of Salmon.
3. Bibliography.
1 Overview Of Region
1.1
Area
The Southern Regional Fisheries Board is the statutory body with
responsibility for the management of Salmon in the catchment of the
Rivers Barrow, Nore and Suir (Waterford District) and the River
Blackwater (Lismore District). The sea area is from Bannon Bay (East) to
Ballycotton (West).
1.2
Budget/Staff
The Board has a staff of 31, an annual budget of €2.3million, 84% funded
from the Exchequer. 46% of the Budget is expended on Protection, 10%
on Development and 10% on Water Quality, Governance 23%, Capital
11% (draft figures 2004).
1.3.1 Own Resources
The Board does not own or manage any Salmon Fisheries, and therefore
only derives one source of funding from angling activity i.e. sale of rod
licences. The sales of 3657 licences in 2004 were €110,533 with 25.7%
from overseas. Excluding visitors from overseas the return of logbooks
from anglers over the last 4 years is abysmically low at approximately
50%.
1.3.2 Commercial Licences
1.3.2.1
Waterford District
173 Drift Net
Operate south of line from Cheekpoint out to sea for 6
miles, west to Helvic Head and east to Bannow Bay.
132 Snap Net
Operate north of Cheekpoint in tidal waters in the
Barrow, Nore and Suir.
3 Draft Net
1.3.2.2
As Snap (above)
Lismore
81 Drift Net
41 Private licences in several fisheries north of New Bridge on N25
40 Private South of New Bridge out to sea for six miles east to
Helvic Head and west to Ballycotton.
6 Draft Nets and 1 TRAP ( Private licences )
The income to the Board from commercial fisheries in 2004 was €93,645
approx.
1.4
Catches
Angling
2003
Drift Draft
2004 2004
Waterford District
1613
8303
0
3455
Lismore District
1758
9173
0
115
1.5
Snap
2004
Salmon Producing Habitat
The recent CFB report on the Quantification of the Fresh Water Salmon
Habitat Asset in Ireland shows the potential of the Waterford District at
21.55% and the Lismore District at 8.24% of the national Salmon
production capacity of the country. This gives a total production capacity
of 29.79% in the Southern Region.
1.6
Water Quality
The results of the recent Biological Survey of River Quality by the EPA
would seem to indicate that the current state of water quality in the
Barrow is 20% below the national average, the Nore is 14% below the
national average, the Suir is 1% above the national average and the
Blackwater is 9% higher than the national average. These results indicate
the extent of the impaired water for juvenile salmon production.
2. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MANAGEMANT OF SALMON
2.1
Medium Term Strategy (3 year)
The current system of setting and adjusting quotas on a yearly basis is
unworkable for the following reasons
- No sector can plan more than a year. This proves problematic for
tourism bodies, angling tourism owners, anglers and commercial
fishermen
- Once January 1st comes, it is impossible to close angling rivers where
angling has already commenced.
- The science can be applied and evaluated on a medium term basis
rather one year at a time.
- Weather conditions such as lack of rain, too much rain etc can cause
fluctuations in timing and numbers of fish migrating and returning
from sea,which makes one year’s management of this resource very
unpredictable.
2.2
Mixed Stock Fishery
Salmon in Ireland is effectively managed as a single stock. The allocation
of quotas even when backed up with scientific advice is perceived as
unfair particularly to the shareholders in the Southern Region who happen
to live and fish “further down the line” or “around the corner”. Regarding
the scientific advice 2005, and the current allocation of quotas under SI
X of 20055 , the members and shareholders of this Board strongly believe
that the Cork & Kerry commercial fisherman are intercepting salmon
bound for this regions rivers. The potential of this region outlined in the
previous page compared with the potential Cork and Kerry embeds this
belief of unfairness.
2.3
Habitat Improvement
In this region approximately ½ million punts was invested in developing
fisheries under the Tourism Angling Measure (TAM) 1994-1999. The 4
rivers and their catchments need approximately €2 million of in-stream
and on-bank development to increase and sustain juvenile salmon stocks.
Unfortunately the Tourism and Recreational Angling Measure (TRAM)
N.D.P 2000 – 2006 has been severely cut back from approximately €37
million to €1 million. The measure needs to be resurrected to build on the
success of TAM.
2.4
Staff
The Region is understaffed but has a particular deficit in having no
biologists or other fisheries scientists to measure and improve
biodiversity, anadromy, juvenile salmon stocks etc.
2.5
Angling Returns
The return of data by anglers is extremely low and is making the Board
expend scarce funds in prosecutions to retrieve data. The Board proposes
that all salmon angling licences be identity proofed and bar coded. Also
the bar-coding of all tags attached to both rod and commercial catches
should be introduced forthwith. Furthermore some system of tagging for
farmed salmon should be introduced to ensure that they are not passed
off as the superior wild salmon.
2.6
Research/Real Time Management
The Marine Institute is responsible for all research and real time
management technology regarding Salmon in Irish rivers. There is serious
deficit in all categories of real time management and research initiatives
on all 4 rivers in this Region. The Board members and the executive are
growing increasingly frustrated with the performance and service of the
Marine Institute.
2.6.1 Counters
The Barrow and Nore have no counters of any kind. The Marine Institute
was funded to provide a counter on the Suir and on the Blackwater under
TAM. Neither counter has ever worked consistently because of poor
locations and impact of floods. A partial counter was working on the
Clondulane weir on the River Blackwater, which was not TAM funded,
however the Marine Institute are no longer in a position to fund this.
2.6.2 Smolt Tagging (Returns)
The Marine Institute has responsibility for this operation also. Even
though return of salmon counts is a critical component in computing
conservation level no smolts are tagged for release on native stock on any
of the rivers in this region.
2.6.3 Marine Survival
The Fisheries Boards are responsible for the management and
conservation of salmon within the 6 mile limit of the coast. The Marine
Institute are funded and charged with researching and defining the sea
survival rate of salmon whilst at sea. Ireland has no such research
programme even though all stakeholders are continually pointing to
heavy decimation out at sea.
2.6.4 Predation
The two key sources of predation are cormorants attacking smolts going
out to sea and seals damaging salmon caught in interceptory drift nets.
Both these predators are protected species and come under the ambit of
the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that immediate steps should be taken to curb
the numbers of both these predators. The Board proposes an interdepartmental taskforce be established to ascertain precise numbers and to
evaluate the extent of damage done to smolts and returning salmon.
2.7
Salmon Migration and Weirs
There are many weirs in the Southern Region which delay and sometimes
stops the migration of salmon, in particular to the spawning areas. The
Board would request that legislation is put in place to allow for easier
amelioration of the problems caused by Weirs. e.g Weirs where
ownership is unclear, maintenance is poor and the original reason for the
siting of the weir is no longer applicable.
Conclusion.
The Board believes a three year strategy cycle is important to the
continuing successful management of salmon. The Board considers that
such a strategy would help in a transparent way to meet the expectations
of all stakeholders and ensure a level of buy-in that is extremely difficult
to get going from one crisis to another year by year.
Brian Sheerin
CEO
3. Bibliography
1. SI No: 72 of 2005. Control of Fishing for Salmon Order 2005
2. SI No: x of 2005.Wild Salmon ans Sea Trout Tagging Scheme
Regulations 2005 (For Consultation at present)
3. (Wetted Area Report) Quantification of the Freshwater Salmon
Habitat Asset in Ireland. Central Fisheries Board 2003.
4. An Economic/Socio Economic Evaluation of Wild Salmon in
Ireland. INDECON 2003.
5. Water Quality in Ireland 1998 – 2000. EPA 2002