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Fisheries

Answer

[holding answer 19 January 2006]: The UK Government regularly impresses upon the Irish Government the need to take steps to reduce and eventually eliminate the impact of the Irish salmon drift net fishery on UK salmon stocks and I have raised the issue directly with my Irish counterparts on several occasions. The issue has also been raised regularly at informal meetings between UK and Irish officials and in discussions with the European Commission and with other EU member states in the context of the EU's commitments to the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO). The Commission is understood to be considering what proposals it might make to the Fisheries Council on the regulation of salmon fishing in EU waters. To that end it commissioned a report (to which scientists from the UK and Ireland contributed) on the impact of coastal salmon fisheries on the conservation of in-river stocks.We understand that the European Commission has issued a letter of formal complaint to the Irish Government about the effects of drift netting on the conservation status of salmon. This is the first step towards a possible Action in the European Court of Justice against Ireland in respect of its failure to meet obligations towards salmon under the EC Habitats Directive. Unless and until such time as the Commission formally institutes such action, its case against the Irish Government is not a matter of public record, nor is the UK Government given the opportunity to comment.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

42966; 442 c887-8W;442 c887-8W

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Fisheries Nature conservation Drift nets Salmon

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk