Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1999

National Salmon Commission.

22.—(1) The Act of 1980 is hereby amended by the substitution of the following for Part V:

“PART V

National Salmon Commission

National Salmon Commission.

55A.—(1) The Minister may by order establish a committee (the ‘Commission’) to be known as the National Salmon Commission.

(2) The Commission shall consist of the following members appointed by the Minister:

(a) a person appointed as its chairperson;

(b) not more than 16 members appointed from among those nominated by such bodies and organisations as the Minister may by order prescribe; and

(c) not more than 4 other members as the Minister thinks fit.

(3) A member (including the chairperson) of the Commission shall hold office for such period not exceeding 5 years, and on such other terms and conditions, as the Minister may determine and specifies at the time of the member's appointment, but is eligible for reappointment as a member or the chairperson.

Functions of Commission.

55B.—The functions of the Commission shall be to assist and advise the Minister in relation to the conservation, management, protection and development of the national salmon resource and, in particular, to make recommendations to the Minister on any scheme in relation to the management, development and conservation of stocks of wild salmon or sea trout (within the meaning of section 24 of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1999) and in particular the tagging of such fish, and on the setting of a national total allowable catch and quotas for the taking of salmon, in consultation with the boards and the Marine Institute and such other bodies as the Minister directs.

Standing Scientific Committee.

55C.—(1) The Commission shall establish a standing committee, to be known as the Standing Scientific Committee, to advise and assist the Commission on all technical and scientific matters in relation to the performance of the Commission's functions.

(2) Subject to subsection (3) of this section, the Standing Scientific Committee shall consist of such number of members as the Commission thinks fit and may include amongst its members persons who are not members of the Commission.

(3) The Minister may, by order, fix or limit the number of members and composition of membership of the Standing Scientific Committee.

(4) The Commission shall appoint a member of the Standing Scientific Committee to be the chairperson of the Committee.

Regulation of procedure of Commission and Committee.

55D.—The Minister may, by order, regulate the terms of reference and procedure of the Commission and the Standing Scientific Committee but, subject to any such order, the Commission may regulate those terms of reference and procedures.”.

(2) All moneys standing to the credit of the Salmon Conservancy Fund immediately before the commencement of this section shall be paid into or disposed of for the benefit of the Exchequer in such manner as the Minister for Finance may direct, and the Fund shall thereon, be closed.