Having read Mike Fitzpatrick's article (The Irish Times, August 23rd), in favour of continuing to commercially fish for wild salmon, I sometimes wonder if we are all living on the same planet. The reality is that driftnets were responsible for 70.5 per cent of the entire catch of 143,541 fish last year.
Overall, the number of salmon taken by all methods has dropped by nearly 45 per cent from 2001 to 2005.
Only recently the Central Fisheries Board stated that the Standing Scientific Committee to the National Salmon Commission identified eight fishery districts where the number of salmon returning to spawn is less than the conservation limit. The districts affected are Dundalk, Drogheda, Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Limerick, Galway and Sligo. Catch and release is now mandatory until the end of the fishing season in these districts.
"Indiscrimate" is a key word in my book. How can driftnets distinguish between salmon that are destined for, say, the River Moy which is above sustainable levels, and those heading back to the Slaney, once a well-stocked river but now running outside precautionary limits? It's ridiculous.
From an economical viewpoint, the value of a salmon caught by an angling tourist is estimated to be €423 compared to €22 for one caught by driftnets and, since 1999, the number of salmon angling tourists coming to Ireland has halved from 54,000 to 27,000 per year.
Yes, there are other factors contributing to the decline, but we must start at the top and work down. Commercial driftnets must stop now and a satisfactory compensation package be put in place immediately for those exiting the industry. The latest buy-out figure, to my knowledge, stands at approximately €30-€35 million.
Catch and release is a way forward. Angler catch-and-release studies have shown that with appropriate capture and handling techniques a high proportion of salmon will survive to spawn. Mortality rates of released fish can drop dramatically when anglers follow a few simple but important guidelines.
The North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (Nasco) and the International Atlantic Salmon Research Board have recently launched a multi-million euro project entitled Salsea in an effort to locate the primary cause of salmon mortality at sea. The project will attempt to discover how salmon use the ocean, where they go, how they use ocean currents and food resources.
Water quality in our rivers and lakes, investment in spawning grounds, more fishery staff to prevent poaching and over-exploitation in estuaries all need to be tackled urgently. Anglers must also play their part and be prepared for a hike in licence fees.
Salmon are wild, beautiful and a valuable national resource. If we continue to kill them at the present rate they will be gone for good from many Irish rivers. Careful management could save them. The first step is to stop the mixed-stock salmon driftnets.
• Carton House Estate in Co Kildare is the focal point of the angling world this week as it hosts the largest fly-casting event ever to be held in Ireland. Teams from 25 nations will descend on Carton House to compete for the biggest prize fund in casting sport history, and the most prestigious titles in international angling.
Already under way since Saturday last, the week-long spectacle will encompass the International Casting Sports Federation (ICSF) World Championships and the €200,000 Emerald World Masters Championships. From tomorrow until Friday, the ICSF competition will comprise nine events to test casters on a range of disciplines including distance, speed, accuracy and precision.
Paul Keeley, marketing director of Fáilte Ireland, said: "The World Casting Championships will not only attract visitors in their own right, but will also communicate the attractions of Ireland as a holiday destination."
• September is usually the top month for Lough Inagh in Recess, Co Galway, according to fisheries manager, Colin Folan. "I am really looking forward to the last month's fishing," he said. Shirley and Tom Morrison from Northern Ireland fished Inagh for a day and recorded seven sea trout to 1.4kg on a dapped Daddy, and the Williams family managed 10 sea trout and 15 browns over three days, all on the dap. Contact 086-8679459 or inagh@iol.ie.
• A cross-Border coarse angling classic will take place this weekend at three northern venues. The first competition on Friday will be held at Enagh Lough, Caledon, Co Tyrone, and the event on Saturday and Sunday at Loughgall County Park, Co Armagh, and Lough Muckno, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, will carry a prize fund of £2,900 (€4,297). Contact 0044 (0) 28-38325204.