The Consultation was opened by Mr François Delmas, Secrétaire d'Etat to the Ministère de l'Environnement et du Cadre de Vie, who welcomed the participants to the thermal city of Vichy. He gave a brief review of the historical development of the inland fisheries of France from the time of the monarchy and reviewed the main problems and conflicts now facing recreational fisheries in France with particular reference to Atlantic salmon (see Annex 2).
Mr K.C. Lucas, Assistant Director-General of Fisheries of FAO, expressed on behalf of the Director-General of FAO, Mr Edouard Saouma, his appreciation to the Government of France for hosting the Consultation and for their generous hospitality. He thanked in particular the Conseil supérieur de la Pêche, the Fédération de pêche de l'Allier, and the National Angling Club for the selection of Vichy as the site of the meeting and for their efficient arrangements. He noted that the participants included representatives of national and international fishermen organizations whose participation he felt was necessary to the success of the Consultation as they represent millions of anglers and fishermen. The Allier River, which flows through the city of Vichy, was a living example, he said, of the opportunities and problems besetting fisheries today. One hundred years ago the annual salmon runs in the Loire-Allier River system totalled 100 000 fish. Now the run is down to only 2 000 or 3 000 individuals. The reasons for the decline of this anadromous species, which ignores man-made boundaries and is sought after by many users in both inland and ocean waters, are complex and both national and international. Study of fishery allocation problems, the purpose of the Consultation, transcends traditional boundaries and adds importance to this international meeting which brings together Europe and America. What we want, he said, is to know how and when fishery managers can develop pragmatic policies for the understanding and integrated management and development of commercial and recreational fisheries (see Annex 3).
