Fine Gael and Labour have criticised new salmon conservation measures introduced by the Minister for the Marine, Mr Fahey, which rule out any buy-out of driftnetting.
The measures, which also set quotas on commercial catches at district level, have been described as "confused" and "inadequate" by the Fine Gael spokesman on agriculture, marine and natural resources, Mr Alan Dukes.
Labour spokesman, Mr Michael Bell, said the curbs "don't go far enough", while the Irish Fishermen's Organisation and the Irish Traditional Fishermen's Association said they were very unhappy with the proposals.
The measures were discussed by the National Salmon Commission (NSC) in Galway yesterday and it is understood angling representatives were asked to draw up their own conservation measures for the NSC's next meeting.
The minister outlined his policy on wild salmon for the first time in detail in Galway on Thursday. He said salmon management and conservation was a "far more complex issue" than was being presented by some organisations. He ruled out demands by several angling bodies for a Government-funded buy-out of commercial netting.
The focus on this issue had been "an unhelpful distraction", he said, and the "raising of expectations about bonanzas" had not served the interests of the sector. The introduction of quotas on a district basis to achieve catch reductions was in his view the best instrument available. He also said he would review the length of driftnet and that a review of the legislation in relation to categories and licences was also underway.
There were a series of reasons for the decline in salmon stocks, including climate change, pollution and habit degradation. He had raised the issue of predation by seals with the Minister for Arts , Heritage, the Gaeltacht and the Islands, Ms de Valera.
The minister said he would continue to support set-aside schemes in local catchments, subject to Exchequer funding.
In a warning to the recreational angling sector, he said he had already agreed a bag limit of one fish per angler prior to June this year. A ban on the sale of rod caught salmon was now in place.
Mr Dukes, said the proposed system of district quotas would be "very controversial" and there would be arguments about the basis for and distribution of these. He described the proposals for rod angling as "simply ludicrous".
Mr Bell said the minister had avoided taking any political leadership on the key issue of a buy-out of commercial licences.
