Madam, - Just as one swallow does not make a summer, a few small sea trout taken by one angler a few years ago do not make for the "remarkable renaissance" claimed by Derek Evans in his book review of April 7th. The claim, incidentally, was not even made by Bill Rawlings, the optimistic author of the angling book being reviewed.
It is a sad fact that the sea trout fisheries of Connemara and South Mayo are still, 14 years after the first collapse, very pale shadows of their former pre-salmon-farm selves. Without exception.
And there is no longer any serious debate, either nationally or internationally, about the cause of the disaster - sea lice from salmon farms.
Furthermore, the problem is spreading. These deadly parasites are now responsible for the collapse of pink salmon runs in western Canada and Atlantic salmon runs in western Scotland, again directly associated with nearby "battery" salmon farms.
Irish salmon farms continue to change hands at an extraordinary rate, as more and more foreign and domestic gamblers get their financial fingers badly burnt, despite substantial taxpayer subsidies.
Instead of being soothed by false talk of a sea trout renaissance, is it not time that our policy-makers recognised salmon farming for what it is - a lousy business, with lousy employment and lousy prospects, deriving from a seriously lousy produce? - Yours, etc.,
PETER MANTLE, Chairman, Save Our Seatrout, Leenane, Co Galway.