Seán Canney TD, Minister with responsibility for the Inland Fisheries sector has approved legislation that will govern the wild salmon and sea trout fisheries in 2020 and which came into affect yesterday (January 1 )
To inform the legislation for 2020, Minister Canney received management advice from Inland Fisheries Ireland in relation to over 140 genetically individual wild salmon stocks in Ireland, which in turn was considered in the light of individual scientific assessments. The assessments were carried out by the Technical Expert Group on Salmon (TEGOS ) an all-island independent scientific group comprising experts from a range of bodies.
Minister Canney said, “We are opening 82 rivers for salmon/sea trout fishing in 2020. This will allow everyone to share in this important natural resource, for which conservation will be to the fore. Forty one of the rivers will be fully open with a further 41 available on a ‘catch and release’ basis“.
This advice was also made available as part of a statutory public consultation process during which 27 written submissions from stakeholders were received.
Management advice based on the TEGOS assessment of rivers/estuaries/harbours is that:-
41 rivers to be open as a surplus of fish has been identified in these rivers;
41 rivers to be classified as open for “catch and release” angling; and
65 rivers to be closed as they have no surplus of fish available for harvest.
Minister Canney said Ireland is internationally recognised for elevating the conservation imperative to the pinnacle of salmon management principles.
“As the International Year of the Salmon draws to a close, I am proud to have led Ireland’s participation to this global initiative.
“Environmental change and human impacts continue to place salmon and other species at risk. I am determined that the innovations of International Year of the Salmon which brought people together to share knowledge and raise awareness will endure. This is key to ensuring the resilience of salmon in Ireland and in the entire Northern Hemisphere,” he added.
