A new Government review group on wild salmon has been given an "impossible task" and unworkable terms of reference, according to representatives of coastal communities.
Minister of State for the Marine John Browne must intervene to clarify the role of the group, which appears to be totally constrained, fishing industry representatives have said.
The three-man group, led by former IDA chief Padraic White, was appointed two months ago and was charged with advising the Government on the impact of managing wild salmon. This advice would include a ban on drift-netting for wild salmon from next year.
Mr Browne said at the time that he had "endeavoured to ensure that the working group" had "as broad a remit as possible" to enable it "to study all the factors involved".
Appointed with Mr White were Prof Tom Collins of NUI Maynooth and John Malone, former secretary general of the Department of Agriculture, and the group was given a five-month deadline.
However, the group's meeting this week with 16 representatives of the commercial sector broke up amid criticism of narrow terms of reference, Lorcan Ó Cinnéide of the Irish Fish Producers' Organisation (IFPO) said.
"This independent group is comprised of people of the highest calibre," Mr Ó Cinnéide said. He said it was possible the group had been given a "totally impossible task which is simply to delay the bad news for the commercial sector".
Mr White yesterday said that the group was working within its terms of reference.
