Wild salmon netsmen have warned that they will face imprisonment rather than be forced off the water if the Government implements a driftnet ban.
The Irish Salmon Traditional Netsmen's Association intends to highlight its case at a protest in Dublin next Wednesday, when the Minister for the Marine is expected to make a decision on the issue.
Last month, the Government's advisory body, the National Salmon Commission, voted in favour of a driftnet ban from next season and urged that a compensation scheme be introduced for existing commercial licence-holders. This has been welcomed by the Stop Salmon Driftnetting Now (Stop Now) campaign, which represents private fishery-owners and anglers.
However, the Netsmen's Association believes that the wild salmon fishery can be managed if a voluntary buyout scheme is introduced which permits bona fide netsmen in peripheral areas to continue to fish.
Association spokeswoman Carmel Lynn said that up to 50 per cent of some 1,500 licence-holders would be in favour of a buyout, but there were netsmen dependent on it for two months of the year.
Speaking on Raidió na Gaeltachta's Barrscealta programme, a number of netsmen said they would continue to fish next year rather than be forced to surrender a public right.
Tomás Ó Conchúir from Co Kerry, a former Salmon Commission member, warned the Government parties "would not know what hit them" at the next general election if the issue was not handled correctly.
"If driftnetters are taken off the water, it will put enormous pressure on shellfish stocks which the State is trying to manage for the first time," Mr Ó Conchúir told The Irish Times.
"I can see people getting very frustrated, because the commercial sector has already taken a series of cutbacks since 1996. The fishery board here is stating that the rivers have been full of wild salmon. Coming on top of the row here over Dingle's name change, there will be a backlash, as people have just had enough."
