§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what methods of monitoring the level of salmon stocks and the recording of rod and line anglers' catches are currently employed in the Province.
§ Mr. Adam ButlerThe monitoring of salmon stocks in Northern Ireland is based on statutorily required catch returns from commercial salmon fishermen and systematic visual counting of spawning redds in rivers supplemented by electronic counting devices in a few of the more important salmon rivers.
The holders of angling licences in the conservation area for which the Foyle fisheries commission is responsible are required to make catch returns to the commission at the end of the angling season. There is no similar requirement in the area controlled by the Fisheries Conservancy Board for Northern Ireland although angling catches are monitored on some waters controlled by the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland.