The Icelandic businessman who has been campaigning to conserve Atlantic salmon stocks has accused Ireland of "standing in the way of salmon restoration in Europe".
Mr Orri Vigfusson, chair of the North Atlantic Salmon Fund (NASF), says he is disappointed that the Government has failed to subscribe to "any solution" that could save up to 500,000 salmon a year.
Mr Vigfusson, who met the Minister for the Marine, Mr Fahey, in Ireland earlier this year, has submitted detailed proposals relating to a buyout of Irish driftnet licences and catch quotas, and an angling tourist plan. However, the Minister has already established a National Salmon Commission, which favours set-aside rather than buy-out of licences, and recognises that driftnetting is already a dwindling occupation due to the farmed salmon market.
The Commission has introduced a new tagging and logbook system as part of a review of salmon stocks. Its chairman, Prof Noel Wilkins recently resigned and was replaced by Mr Joey Murrin.
Mr Vigfusson's organisation had already offered to negotiate buy-outs and set-aside programmes for the Irish fisheries, and he says that a "vast majority" of professional netsmen had agreed to take part in a three-sided deal involving angling and conservation interests and the Government.
