ANGLING NOTES: With substantial financial assistance, the most polluted river in Ireland could be restored to become one of the finest salmonid fisheries in the country, according to a report recently published by the Eastern Regional Fisheries Board (ERFB).
Entitled Restoring the Avoca River, the report was undertaken by Newcastle-Upon-Tyne University at the request of the ERFB and funded by TRAM, the Tourism and Recreational Angling Measure, 2002.
The lower reaches of the Avoca River in Co Wicklow, plagued by discharges of toxic acid leachate and effluent from copper mines for over 200 years, is regarded as the most polluted stretch of river in Ireland.
Almost 11.5 kilometres of river downstream of the mines is designated a quality value of 1/0 (very poor water quality with toxic effect), the impact of which has damaged plant and animal life and caused staining to the riverbed.
Aquatic invertebrate and fish life have also diminished, with no salmon resident in the polluted stretch. Fish kills of migratory salmon are a regular occurrence on the Avoca - a staggering 30 were reported in 2003 alone. Yet there is light at the end of the tunnel. Electrofishing surveys by fisheries staff ascertained the presence of salmon and trout stocks, and juvenile salmon were widely distributed at 74 per cent of all sites sampled.
In addition, the report suggests the construction of a treatment plant to manage the discharge of acid drainage from the mine, which, at present, seeps at 35 litres-per-second. The cost of such a scheme could reach €3,600,000 plus annual operating costs of €254,000.
In return, the river, once restored, would generate at least €750,000 a year, sufficient to sustain river guides and ghillies. The socio-economic benefits to the local community are also enormous.
Copies of the report are available from info@erfb.ie
The angling season drew quietly to a close last Monday on five of Northern Ireland's main rivers.
It was a difficult year for salmon fishing because of low water levels. This meant that most activity was confined to the lower reaches of rivers, according to the Loughs Agency. A number of fish were sighted in the Owenkillew and Glenelly rivers at the weekend but were difficult to tempt because of poor conditions. However, the Owenkillew did produce a few salmon in the lower reaches.