The North Western Regional Fisheries Board (NWRFB), concerned about the dramatic decline in salmon catches, has asked the Central Fisheries Board to suspend the trapping of salmon at the weirs on the river Moy in Ballina.
A spokesman for the Ballina-based NWRFB said yesterday that all fish getting into the Moy should be allowed up-stream and trapping should not be resumed unless there was a dramatic improvement in the run of fish.
The sharp reduction has also affected driftnet fishermen operating off the Mayo and Sligo coast. The NWRFB spokesman said 120 boats were licensed to fish for salmon in the region, a maximum of 23 were out last week, and this was reduced to three by the weekend, with very poor numbers of salmon caught. "This clearly indicates there has been a major decline in the run of summer salmon and is a matter for serious concern," he said.
There is also concern about the size of the fish. The large proportion weigh one to two lbs and some of the small fish have also shown higher than usual numbers of sea-lice, which have already wiped out sea-trout fisheries in the west, especially Connemara.
The spokesman said it appeared the poor run was due to changes in the salmon feeding grounds in the North Atlantic, as all the region's rivers continued to produce very good numbers of juvenile salmon.