Lough Derg anglers urged to profile catches

WITH temperatures rising and so too the May fly, anglers on Lough Derg are being encouraged to profile their catches and help establish a scientific database on native fish stocks.

The Lough Derg Anglers’ Association is one of the multi-stakeholders in the Native Fish Biodiversity Project, a study designed to more fully identify and describe the native fish biodiversity of the lower River Shannon system.
The project is a collaborative effort involving volunteers, two universities and statutory agencies and the collection of trout DNA samples is a key aspect to the project.
Mick Gough of the Lough Derg Anglers said the key focus areas of the study include investigations into the genetics and phenotypic variation of trout, trophic relationships between trout and other species in the lake, the presence and impact of parasitic lamprey and the status of the pollan population in Lough Derg.
“The project is now moving into a new phase and it is hoped that management prescriptions can be developed in partnership with relevant organisations and agencies to promote sustainable development of the lake, while protecting the native fish community.
“Through the activities of Lough Derg Native Fish Biodiversity Project, the Lough Derg Anglers’ Association  has been able to bring added value to the project and expand further by accessing EU finding and expertise to bring to the management of the lake,” Mick explained.
In association with North Tipperary Leader Partnership, the project has developed a programme to involve local community environmental stewardship through a real-time scientific fish census programme.
The main objective is to develop for the first time a provision of quantitative data on fish numbers, adult salmon and trout, in Lough Derg through the use of a state-of-the-art fish counting facility operated by the local community through outreach public participation.
The project team also continues to collect and process samples and anglers are encouraged to take trout tissue samples for genetic analysis, for stable isotope analysis and to photograph the fish for identification and morphometrics.
Instructions for taking samples and a record sheet can be downloaded and returned to Mick Gough (086 2584619), Kevin Grimes (087 6784539) or Dr Fran Igoe (087 4114206).
Mr Gough said the immediate plan is to collate the scientific date and report on the major project findings.
A website dedicated to Lough Derg will be launched later this year. This website will cover the range of issues affecting Lough Derg and provide information on angling, competitions and other information relevant to both local users and the visiting angler.
“By illustrating that Lough Derg is of real importance in the context of the economy as well as heritage and recreation, it is hoped that the agencies and organisations with management clout will provide the appropriate environmental stewardship necessary for the long term survival of the lake,” he said.