ANGLING NOTES:AFTER the reintroduction of salmon farming to Bertraghboy Bay at Ballynahinch in Connemara, a strongly worded message been sent to the Minister for Agriculture, Brendan Smith, urging immediate steps to outlaw salmon-farming in the estuary. An on-line petition which, at time of going to press, has reached 1,376 signatures.
“Until the late 1980s the Ballynahinch system in Connemara was regarded as the best sea-trout fishery in Ireland, with up to 5,500 sea-trout and 500 salmon caught annually. The introduction of salmon-farming in the estuary at Ballynahinch in 1988 destroyed the stocks of salmon and sea-trout.
“Annual sea-trout rod catches collapsed from 5,500 to 100 while the salmon catch fell from 500 to 50.
“The sea-lice emanating from these salmon farms have been proven to be the cause of this utter decimation of the wild stock of salmonids.
The population of these tiny creatures, which naturally occur in the wild, exploded due to the massive increase in available hosts (more than one million salmon in up to 30 open pens in the estuary).
“Migrating salmon and trout were attacked by sea-lice as soon as they went into sea-water and died as a direct result of secondary skin infections due to the breakdown of their immune system.
“Over the period 1988-2004, the salmon farm went bankrupt three times, despite massive government grants. In 2004 the business was replaced by a cod- farming operation in the Ballynahinch estuary with a three-year trial licence.
“Cod aquaculture does not propagate the harmful salmon louse that has been so detrimental to the wild stocks at Ballynahinch and other parts of Ireland. From 2004 until 2008, the sea-trout rod catches at Ballynahinch improved from 100 to 1,500 and the salmon catches have increased from 50 to 270.
Incredibly, in October 2008, the sudden reintroduction of salmon-farming to Bertraghboy Bay (the bay into which the Ballynahinch River flows) shocked anglers worldwide and will certainly result in a repeat of the situation experienced at Ballynahinch in the late 1980s.
“It is without doubt that the resurgence in wild salmon and sea trout seen over the past four years will be wiped out soon when the fish migrate from Ballynahinch to the estuary.
“The Government cannot sit back and watch as another environmental disaster unfolds. This impending catastrophe can be stopped if the Government stops the resumption of salmon farming in the estuary.
The value of a wild fishery in terms of recreational angling and related tourism income far outweighs the unviable, fundamentally flawed industry that is salmon farming in the Ballynahinch estuary.”
To subscribe, visit http://www.PetitionOnline.com/seatrout/petition.html
-Saint Patrick's Day always produces a good turnout of anglers for opening day on the River Tolka at Broombridge in Dublin and this year was not exception as the glorious weather enticed 230 trout enthusiasts, including 170 juniors, to sample the delights of this splendid river.
Living close to Ashtown in the 1950s, the Tolka set claim to my initiation into angling, and the affection for the sport still persists today. Back then, the river regularly produced wild brown trout to 2kg and a fish dinner was almost assured after each visit.
Today, the situation has sadly deteriorated as pollution has taken over and the wild species is almost extinct. However, under the chairmanship of Christopher Emmett, the Tolka Anglers’ Association has endeavoured to restore the river to its former glory with regular “clean-ups” and vigiliant watch on potential polluters.
The club also operates a stocking programme of brown and rainbow trout and this initiative has boosted local interest in the communities of Finglas and Cabra particularly among the younger folk.
At the weigh-in more than 20 children received a rod and reel presented by Des Chew from the Dublin Angling Initiative (DAI) and sponsored by Truetackle, DAI, Tolka Anglers’ Association and the Pet Shop, Finglas. Results: (Seniors) 1, M Redmond; 2, W Morrissey; 3, F Moran. (Juniors) 1, T Chabasinski; 2, D Donnelly; 3, R Veitch.