Wednesday 25 March 2006 

HOTELS FEDERATION WELCOMES RECOMMENDATION TO END DRIFT NET SALMON FISHING

The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) today welcomed recommendations by the Government appointed expert group to end drift net fishing from next year. The IHF stressed that this will have a fundamental positive impact on Ireland’s salmon angling tourism product and would return this important tourism segment to the level of visitors it attracted prior to 1999.  The IHF suggested that within three to five years Ireland could double the number of salmon angling tourists which would contribute an additional €50 million to the Irish economy annually. 

IHF Chief Executive, John Power, stated, “The independent group's recommendations are a very important development in terms of rebuilding our regional tourism product which has been under pressure from a number of factors in recent years. The decline in salmon angling tourists due to depleted salmon stocks has been one of these issues. The recommendations will hopefully lead to an equitable buyout for drift net fisherman and result in a speedy recovery of Irish salmon stock levels. This will position Ireland as a superb destination for salmon angling." 

"If implemented, the recommendations will see Irish waters being free of drift net fishing in 2007, providing tourism bodies with significant opportunities in marketing our regional and activity based tourism product. It is hoped that this will mark the return of overseas salmon anglers, who spend on average 14 days in the country, given that Ireland now fulfills its obligations to conserving wild Atlantic salmon," concludes John Power. 

ENDS

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