Inland Fisheries Ireland(IFI ) is appealing to people to report sightings of salmon poaching, or other illegal fishing activity, over Christmas.
IFI is asking the public to contact the agency’s confidential 24/7 number, 0818 34 74 24, if they encounter or know of people hunting for wild Atlantic salmon.
Over winter, those involved in illegal activity often use high-powered lamps during the night to identify and kill salmon using implements such as pitchforks and types of spear. Adult salmon are currently spawning, having made the long migration back to Ireland from the sea, and are particularly vulnerable.
Commenting, Barry Fox Deputy CEO of IFI, said salmon poaching is a highly destructive environmental crime.“If people notice any suspicious activity, or lights by a local river at night, we encourage them to please phone us.
“At this time of year, these iconic fish have undertaken epic journeys from their north Atlantic feeding grounds – travelling sometimes thousands of kilometres to the rivers where they originated to reproduce.
“In an era of biodiversity crisis, the year-round impact of selling, buying, and consuming, illegally-captured salmon directly impacts the sustainability of Ireland’s threatened wild salmon populations, and undermines the State’s conservation efforts.“ he said.
The number of salmon returning to Ireland has fallen from approximately 1.76 million in 1975 to 171,700 in 2022. This is a catastrophic decrease in less than one generation.
