So how is the conservation limit number achieved!? Catch records, commercial and recreational, electronic fishing surveys and fish counter results. These are all the ways in which the IFI and TEGOS come up with each individual conservation limit for each individual river. In my humble opinion the logbook returns have to be scrapped at least when we are trying to come up with a number to conserve salmon. It was well known that for years the drift net exaggerated their catch records to make sure that the quota survived another year. The process that we have at the moment to conserve salmon is not working. Salmon are in such a bad state now that unfortunately it might be too late. We are now down to roughly 5% of what the run used to be back in the 70's.
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| Eamon Ryan, Minister in charge of the demise of Salmon. |
The people in charge are not conserving our Salmon, in fact I will say this again, they are contributing to the demise of Salmon. In Castlemaine harbour we have two rivers under conservation limit, the Emlagh and the Behy, these rivers are affected by netting in Castlemaine. I am not making this up, this is a scientific fact and all people need to do is read the scientific report published in 2010. This is a report stating that these rivers are below their conservation limits and that netting does affect them. What do we do? We continue netting! The river Maine fish counter is a disgrace. The counts are so wrong it's laughable! I have proof now in 2021 that the IFI stated in a Dail question that cameras were working on the fish counter verifying fish since 2009. Now I have an email from the IFI inspector saying cameras are not working. The only way a fishery is allowed in Castlemaine Harbour is if VERIFIED data is secured to make sure that enough salmon are making it above the weir to spawn. I honestly believe that the conservation limit hasn't been met on the river Maine in years. So why are Salmon almost gone! In a recent Eco eye program the IFI stated climate change, pollution, pacific salmon etc etc as factors in the demise of Salmon. Lads what about licensed nets in Castlemaine Harbour that kill anything between 3000 to 4000 wild Salmon every year. Is that not a problem. Questions have been sent into Eamon Ryan about fish counter data from me through Darren Rourke the Sein Fein representative on the environment. I have a feeling he will side step the question. He has up to now completely fobbed off any questions on fish counters from various TD's down through the years. Fish counters need to be given verified data so that they are not counting fish other than Salmon. There should be no netting in Castlemaine until this is done and believe it or not if this data is provided I have no problem with netting in the harbour. Below you will have a parliamentary question and an email. Both from the IFI completely contradicting themselves.
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Dail question answered by the IFI
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| Email contradicting Dail response |
No river should be open unless we are 100% accurate on the Salmon within that river. This is the reason for fish counters. Unfortunately this is a very difficult process and that is understandable. Logbooks are not an accurate means of evaluating salmon numbers nor are electronic surveys! Real actual numbers need to be drawn down from real evidence. Logbooks are open to fraud. To keep a river open all you need to do is fiddle with the logbooks. The catch and release numbers around the country are ridiculous! 150 on the river Maine in 2022. The nets in castlemaine didn't even reach their quota in 2022 but the anglers had the best year in 10 years! That doesn't make logical sense and I know from being on the river that fish were few and far between. Unfortunately the problems lie in the management within the IFI and I really don't know how this can be helped. Rivers will have to close and nets will have to stop. We have failed our Salmon and we have failed our young people coming into a world with very little fish left. I cannot understand why we continue to kill fish. I cannot understand why we continue to not care. When the minister in charge of all this refuses to answer questions on it then maybe corruption has won. Maybe the green in the green party is just a facade. We have a great opportunity in Ireland, we have the perfect enviroment for Atlantic Salmon. We continue to miss manage this amazing commodity. We need a new approach with a new mindset. With the help of god someone who cares will do something. If you havent already please sign petition on the nets in castlemaine!
Ban nets in Castlemaine
