Tag Archives: Inland Fisheries

Two men have been convicted for being in the possession of illegally caught salmon on the River Fergus in Ennis, and were ordered to pay fines following prosecutions taken by Inland Fisheries Ireland. Cousins Gerard Considine and Niall Considine, both with addresses in Clarecastle, Co. Clare, received a fine of €200 and costs of €471 each following their conviction at Ennis District Court on Friday, April 22, by Judge Bernadette Owens. Inland Fisheries Ireland Officers gave evidence in relation to the offence which occurred on July 1 2021. They outlined the facts of the case to the court of how Gerard Considine and Niall Considine had been apprehended following a night time surveillance operation in the area after suspicious activity had been detected. The men were found to be in possession of eight illegally caught salmon from the river Fergus in Ennis. David McInerney, director of the Shannon River Basin District at Inland Fisheries Ireland said, ‘Inland Fisheries Ireland has …

A series of remedial measures are needed to improve the water quality in Lough Derg, a major €500,000 angling project has revealed. Dr Fran Igoe, who is one of the promoters involved in a ground-breaking 10-year research programme into native Lough Derg fish species, claimed the water quality of the lake is mostly moderate to poor, with only a few sections classified as good. The regional co-ordinator for the Local Authority Waters and Communities Office Southern Region said water quality needs to be improved by involving all stakeholders in forestry, agriculture, wastewater treatment systems and septic tank owners. “Water quality in the lake underpins angling and tourism. It is important that people join the dots, so a better appreciation develops on the importance of managing the land near the lake properly,” Dr Igoe noted. The status of the lake and contributing rivers is based on a combination of water quality and habitat. The study noted that the quality of the …

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has issued an appeal to farmers to be vigilant when harvesting silage and spreading slurry to avoid water pollution. Silage operations are ongoing all summer and silage effluent has the potential to cause devastating pollution in streams and rivers. Silage effluent is one of the most polluting substances to threaten the environment and can cause massive fish kills if it enters a watercourse. Slurry spread on grassland over the summer months can also wipe out fish and invertebrate life if allowed to enter a stream. Water levels in streams and rivers are low in the summer months and have less dilution capacity, so are particularly vulnerable to pollution at this time. Dr Greg Forde, head of operations at IFI, said, “The fisheries service is appealing to all farmers and contractors to be careful that no silage effluent is allowed to run off into drains or watercourses. Round bales are the most environmentally friendly way to store …