asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the estimated number of salmon caught this year; and the figures for the comparative period last year.

Statistics in relation to salmon catch for 1979 will not be available until after the close of the fishing season. I will have the information forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it becomes available.

The total number of salmon caught during the 1978 season was 360,389.

Now that we are approaching the end of the salmon season surely the Minister has some indication of how well or how badly the industry has been faring this year compared with last year.

The main indication I have is that there is a larger escapement of fish up to the spawning grounds by reason of the measures we have adopted to control salmon fishing. I shall have more definitive figures on that very shortly. In view of the Deputy's interest I shall appraise him of the full picture as soon as all the facts and figures are available and that should be within the next month.

8.

andMr. Hegarty asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry if he will extend the present salmon season to coincide with the closing dates of previous years, and if he will allow drift-netting on Mondays for the remainder of the season.

In regard to the first part of the question I am statutorily precluded from altering the length of the fishing season that has been settled for this year. As to the second part of the question, in view of the serious state of our salmon stocks I do not propose to revise the weekly close time as suggested.

What is the reason for not being able to change the regulations?

Even if I could change them, I would not change them because I am acting on the advice given to me by Deputy Deasy, among others, to ensure that there would be proper regulations in respect of salmon fishing this year in order to allow for a greater escapement of salmon to spawning grounds upstream. This policy has been successful this year.

The Minister's statement regarding myself is untrue. All I have advocated is that illegal salmon fishing be stopped.

That is right.

Is the Minister aware that for many weeks past there has been wholesale poaching of salmon in the form of drift-netting at sea along the west coast? To my knoweldge there have not been apprehensions or prosecutions in respect of these offences.

The Deputy would need to put down a separate question on that.

The Deputy may be interested to hear that more than £100,000 worth of illegal nets has been confiscated mainly on the south-west, the-west and the north-west coast, and that a substantial number of prosecutions are pending. Two naval vessels have been engaged whole-time on this operation, dealing primarily with illegal fishing and in addition the full co-operation of the Garda has been forthcoming with the officers of the boards of conservators. Never before in the history of the State has there been such an all-out drive conducted against illegal salmon fishing. The Deputy is well aware of that. He knows that I am making up for the defects in policy and in attitude during the four years of Coalition Government in this respect in particular.

That old sweet song.

Is the Minister aware that there is illegal fishing seven days a week off the west coast?

Bad habits are difficult to eradicate.

The Minister promised to resign if this illegal fishing could not be eliminated.

There has been the bad habit, too, of voting for Fianna Fáil but we are eradicating that also.