§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the salmon rivers in the Foyle system and show in a table the number of salmon redds counted in each of those rivers in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
§ Mr. Peter Bottomley[holding answer 27 February 1990]: The information requested is as follows:
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River 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 Camowen 154 193 136 181 276 Culdaff 17 19 nil 25 23 Deele 66 73 32 64 87 Dennett 23 15 23 60 107 Derg 689 1,025 1,071 1,019 993 Drumragh 51 158 98 81 167 Faughan 203 411 188 329 659 Finn 394 807 375 518 651 Glenelly 46 380 nil 24 123 Mourne 4 nil nil nil nil Owenkillew 45 290 49 18 234 Reelan 240 367 110 321 387 Roe 718 768 891 729 1,282 Strule and Tribs 27 101 nil 8 32
§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table to show for Northern Ireland for each of the last five years the number of grilse and salmon taken in each river estuary by nets, the net catch by driftnetting, by coastal nets and by anglers and the sums raised in licence fees for nets and for fishing licences which allow salmon and grilse.
1984 Number 1985 Number 1986 Number 1987 Number 1988 Number River Estuary Nets: River Foyle 10,560 14,174 12,438 5,298 16,121 River Roe 595 1,145 1,354 551 818 River Bann — — — — — Drift Nets 18,961 25,539 32,759 12,835 17,996 Coastal Nets 13,896 7,340 9,426 8,166 9,066 Anglers1 379 1,814 1,172 390 960 Licence Revenue £ £ £ £ £ Commercial Salmon Licences 44,628 47,187 48,827 46,309 47,942 Game Angling Licences 138,111 156,629 178,563 194,848 216,842 1 Foyle Area Only
§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the salmon rivers in Northern Ireland, not in the Foyle system, and show in a table the number of salmon redds counted in each river in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
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1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 Lough Erne rivers and tributaries: Colebrooke 15 27 4 21 48 Arney 17 20 n/c 21 18 Swanlinbar 4 5 n/c 4 13 Grarvary 3 6 13 2 7 Ardies — — 2 — — Drumnavanty 2 — — — — Kesh 9 14 n/c 2 5 Ballinamallard 17 37 n/c — 24 Lough Melvin and tributaries: Total — 7 n/c 16 52 Lough Neagh and Tributaries: Lower Bann — 67 21 — 629 Moyola — — 11 n/c 112 Maine — — n/c 21 11 Upper Bann 5 4 n/c 23 5 Blackwater 206 71 59 19 20 Sixmilewater 8 27 n/c 5 3 Ballinderry — — 19 12 20 Coastal Rivers and Tributaries: Fane n/c n/c — 42 19
§ Mr. Peter Bottomley[holding answer 27 February 1990]: The information requested is listed in the table. The information relates to both the fisheries conservancy board and the Foyle fisheries commission areas and is based on returns of commercial catches of salmon and grilse made to the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland and the Foyle fisheries commission and on returns of anglers' catches of salmon and grilse made to the Foyle fisheries commission.
§ Mr. Peter Bottomley[holding answer 27 February 1990]: The information requested is as follows:
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1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 Creggan n/c n/c — 12 92 Clanrye — — — — — Cassywater n/c — — — 8 Whitewater 23 77 59 87 91 Kilkeel 3 11 9 12 16 Annalong n/c n/c 13 6 8 Shimna 20 63 57 11 3 Maghera 53 46 48 14 7 Moneycarragh 19 44 41 14 46 Ardelia 3 2 3 2 23 Quoile n/c 6 n/c — — Blackwater (Killinchy) — n/c — — — Inler — n/c n/c — — Lagan — — n/c — — Lagan — — n/c n/c n/c Glenariffe — n/c n/c n/c n/c Glenorm — n/c n/c 7 n/c Margy 6 — — n/c n/c Bush 146 285 172 278 650 Glendun n/c — — n/c n/c Blackstaff 9 29 15 10 43 n/c = No count undertaken.
§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any research has been carried out in Northern Ireland into the angling effort in hours for salmon or grilse caught; and what comparable information he has for(a) the Irish Republic, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) England.
§ Mr. Peter Bottomley[holding answer 27 February 1990]: Research has not been carried out in Northern Ireland into the angling effort in hours for salmon and grilse caught. I am not aware of comparable information for the Irish Republic, Scotland, Wales and England.
§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the number of salmon spawning in each of the salmon rivers of Northern Ireland is sufficient to maintain stocks; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter Bottomley[holding answer 27 February 1990]: Though there is concern about the reduced numbers of adult salmon returning to Northern Ireland salmon rivers, there are sufficient numbers to maintain self-sustaining populations in these rivers.