The North Atlantic Salmon Fund, which is trying to end drift-netting, has claimed that it will force the Government to stop this method of fishing in order to protect stocks of wild salmon.
The fund is an international coalition of non-governmental organisations with the stated aim of restoring wild stocks.
Its Chairman, Orri Vigfusson, said public pressure was intensifying in support of this.
He denied claims by the Chairman of the Irish National Salmon Commission that his organisation did not have the money to fund a buyout.
Mr Vigfusson attended the launch of the Fine Gael policy on drift-netting, which calls for the purchase of fishing rights or a three-year set-aside funded on a tax-free basis and overseen by an independent body.
He claimed that those who wanted to end drift-netting had the Government ‘on the run’ and would succeed with their campaign.
However, there is still a substantial section of traditional fishermen, estimated at 20% of those who currently hold drift-net licences, who maintain that they will continue to exercise their rights to fish and will not take part in any buyout.
