High temperatures and low water levels have led to a field day for poachers in the south-west, who are evading detection because of staff shortages.
Low water levels in an area with some of the country's main game and coarse fisheries have led to unprecedented pickings for "opportunistic" poachers and extensive fish losses, a meeting of the South Western Regional Fisheries Board heard. Staff levels, already stretched, had been unable to cope with the increase.
There had been a large number of equipment seizures and a big increase in reports of salmon- and trout-poaching on rivers and estuaries in Cork and Kerry.
However, because of staff shortages and a lack of resources it had not been possible to verify or investigate all reports, an inspector told the meeting.
Mr John Harte, a board member and the staff representative, said he had never seen this kind of concern before in an inspector's report. Staff resources were at an all time low, and if they remained so, illegal activity would increase and would soon get out of control.
Poaching in the Cork area had been brought under control only as a result of prosecutions and "huge expenditure" by the board in tracking down and prosecuting offenders.
Mr David Forde, who represents salmon rod anglers, said poaching was still not taken seriously by the authorities and the Department of the Marine.
Until courts took a stricter approach and more money was made available by the Department for fisheries staff, that attitude would prevail.