Minister of State with responsibility for Fisheries and the Marine, Timmy Dooley, today announced the launch of a second public consultation on the draft Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations 2026. This consultation provides stakeholders and members of the public with a further opportunity to comment on the draft Regulations before they are finalised.
Announcing the launch, Minister Dooley said:
“I want to thank all the stakeholders who took the time to submit their views on the first consultation process. 326 submissions were received and your constructive feedback, alongside the scientific advice, has informed the updated draft regulations.
This second consultation provides stakeholders with another opportunity to review the measures being proposed and to share their views before the regulations are finalised. I would again encourage you all to participate in this process.”
The first consultation attracted a significant response from a range of stakeholders, demonstrating a shared concern for the long-term conservation and management of wild salmon and sea trout stocks. All 326 submissions received within the consultation period have been considered and a consultation report, summarising the key themes raised by stakeholders, has been published on the consultation page. The feedback received has informed a refinement of the draft regulations.
Declining stocks continues to be a significant challenge. In their 2026 Catch Advice, TEGOS (the Technical Expert Group on Salmon) report that the number of wild salmon returning to Ireland has progressively declined from well over 1 million for much of the 1970s to under 200,000 in recent years. The decline stocks are also evident in catch statistics published by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), with current catches at less than half the levels seen in the 2000s.
In this context, the Minister has written to IFI, asking them to review the existing approach to salmon management and to consider what options are available for the protection and recovery of stocks. This work, backed by scientific advice, will inform future policy decisions in this area.
The Minister also said:
“The continued decline in stocks is of great concern to me. I have asked Inland Fisheries Ireland for their views on the existing salmon management regime and to consider what options may be available to address the ongoing decline in stocks, up to and including a moratorium on the harvesting of salmon.”
This consultation is being held in line with the statutory requirement to make the draft regulations available for comment and invites views from all interested parties before final regulations are made. Details of how to make a submission, along with the draft regulations and the supporting scientific reports, are available on the Department’s website at https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/consultations/wild-salmon-and-sea-trout-tagging-scheme-amendment-regulations-2025-and-conservation-measures-for-the-2026-season/.
The consultation will be open for 30 days, closing at 5:30pm on Thursday, 5th March 2026
