Displaying items by tag: Inland Fisheries Ireland
Primary School Artists Reel In Top Prizes in ‘Something Fishy’ National Poster Competition
Two young artists from Cork and Dublin have scooped the winning prizes in the 2022 Something Fishy national poster competition, with a third student from Laois being awarded the Special Judges’ Category prize.
The competition, which is organised by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) in conjunction with Blackrock Education Centre, received artistic entries from across the country.
Madelena Duggan, a sixth-class pupil from Ardfield National School in Clonakilty, Co Cork and Emma Kilmurry, a fifth-class pupil from Sacred Heart School, Clondalkin, Co Dublin each won in their category for their conservation-themed poster.
While Katie O’Neill, a sixth-class pupil from Presentation Portarlington Primary School, Portarlington, Co Laois won the Special Judges’ Category prize.
Madelena Duggan, 6th class winner, Ardfield National School, Clonakilty, Cork
Earlier this year, as previously reported on Afloat.ie, primary school students around the country were challenged by IFI to create a poster with the ‘catch-photo-release’ (CPR) message that could be used in awareness campaigns.
Announcing the winners, Suzanne Campion of IFI said: “We received a host of beautiful posters containing important conservation-based messaging. It is reassuring to see the level of awareness that today’s young people have on issues around conservation and protection of our fisheries resource.
“Engagement in these issues early on is promising for future generations to be active stewards over our inland fisheries and the surrounding environment.”
The overall winners will receive a tablet to the value of €500 each and the winner of the Special Judges’ Category will receive a tablet to the value of €200.
Emma Kilmurry, 5th class, Sacred Heart School, Clondalkin, Dublin
Niamh Murray, director of Blackrock Education Centre added: “It was fantastic to see the number of entries in this year’s Something Fishy competition. I was incredibly impressed by the standard of artwork created by the young people. They are all winners as far as I am concerned!
“It is also greatly encouraging to witness young people wanting to be involved in environmental issues and the competition was a perfect way to harness this interest. The future looks very good with such committed, environmentally aware young people. Their artwork will go on to feature in awareness campaigns nationally on fish conservation.”
The national poster competition is an important element of the wider Something Fishy Educational Programme, aimed at primary school pupils aged between ten and thirteen. It educates students on the importance of biodiversity and on having sustainable habitats, fish and angling. Information about the programme is available from somethingfishy.ie
Minister Orders Investigation Into Claims of Serious Irregularities at Inland Fisheries Ireland
Environment Minister Eamon Ryan has ordered an investigation of Inland Fisheries Ireland following claims of serious irregularities at the State body for inland and inshore fisheries, according to Independent.ie.
It’s reported that senior counsel has been appointed to investigate allegations such as misuse of funds and company property, as well as the claim that a number of IFI company vehicles — one of which was in a collision — have been used on the road while uninsured.
Independent.ie has much more on the story HERE.
Two men have been convicted for being in the possession of illegally caught salmon on the River Fergus in Ennis, Co Clare and were ordered to pay fines following prosecutions taken by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI).
Gerard Considine and Niall Considine, cousins with an address of Clarecastle, Co Clare, received a fine of €200 and costs of €471 each following their conviction at Ennis District Court on Friday 22 April by Judge Bernadette Owens.
IFI fisheries officers gave evidence in relation to the offence which occurred on 1 July 2021.
They outlined the facts of the case to the court of how both men had been apprehended following a night-time surveillance operation in the area after suspicious activity had been detected.
The men were found to be in possession of eight salmon illegally caught from the River Fergus in Ennis.
David McInerney, director of the Shannon River Basin District at IFI said: “Inland Fisheries Ireland has no tolerance for illegal fishing. Atlantic salmon stocks are in decline and need to be protected. Illegal fishing puts the already diminished stocks in further jeopardy.
“The river Fergus and the entire River Shannon catchment is closed for the harvesting of salmon due to the poor level of salmon stocks in the river.
“We appeal to the general public to report suspected instances of illegal fishing to IFI’s confidential 24/7 hotline number on 0818 34 74 24.”
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is launching a new survey that will tap into the knowledge of trout anglers in Lough Sheelin.
The survey will use a method developed by IFI called FLEKSI — Fishers’ Local Ecological Knowledge Surveillance Indicators — which will help to track ecological changes through local knowledge.
This new survey method features questions for anglers about their trout catch and about different aspects of the fishery now compared with when they started fishing on the lake.
The state agency responsible for the conservation and protection of freshwater fish, habitats and sea angling resources says that this accumulated local ecological knowledge is valuable, and has potential for citizen science that can provide important insights for fisheries management into the future.
Wild brown trout are well-known to feed opportunistically on seasonal gluts of prey, especially swarms of insects, such as mayflies, midges and sedge flies.
To select artificial flies and lures that ‘match the hatch’ — mimicking prey that trout are feeding on — trout anglers closely observe the lake environment and its wildlife throughout the angling season.
Dr Samuel Shephard, a senior research officer with IFI and one of the developers of the FLEKSI method, said: “We know how important anglers are as stewards of our fisheries resource and how attuned they are to changes in the lake environment from year to year.
“Anglers develop in-depth knowledge about their local lake fisheries over their angling career which can provide an important resource for fisheries science.
“With this new survey we want to use this unique insight to help track changes in Lough Sheelin’s trout stocks and ecosystems.”
Lough Sheelin in Co Cavan is one of Ireland’s most important wild brown trout fisheries, with a history of dramatic environmental changes over the last 40 years.
IFI says the FLEKSI survey will give trout anglers on Lough Sheelin an exciting opportunity to share their knowledge as citizen scientists and to make a valuable contribution towards fisheries management on the lake.
Each participant also has the opportunity to enter into a prize draw for angling tackle, with one €200 voucher and two €100 vouchers to be won.
If you fish for trout on Lough Sheelin, please take the opportunity to share your knowledge via the FLEKSI survey website HERE.
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is looking for recreational sea anglers to take part in a citizen science project to help understand the health of fish stocks in Irish coastal waters.
By providing catch information, anglers can play their role in the in the long-term conservation and sustainability of the resource for future generations.
IFI says it’s seeking shore, small boat or charter anglers to collect and submit information on their sea fishing trips and catches around the coastline and submit it via an online diary for the Irish Marine Recreational Angling (IMREC) project.
The IMREC project aims to answer three main questions about sea angling:
- How many people in Ireland fish?
- How often do they fish?
- What do they catch?
IFI along with ESRIs ArcGIS Hub have developed a free angling diary that allows you to create an account and easily submit angling sessions on your phone or other device, providing information which will contribute to the evaluation of our marine fish stocks.
The application also creates a handy personal diary dashboard for your own use and each logged diary session will be updated here.
This gives users an opportunity to view when, where and what fish you’ve caught along with any other notes (tides, rigs etc) that you may have submitted. A summary is also provided to give you an insight into how your season is progressing.
An angling bundle (including buff, line clippers and tape) will be sent to the first 20 anglers that sign up, and a €50 tackle voucher prize draw will be held every month for active users of the diary application.
The survey team at IFI say they understand the importance of fishing marks to anglers. For this reason, your sessions will only be visible to you and the IMREC survey team.
If you are interested, the IMREC initiative is now live and can be viewed here. To take part, sign up on the web or send your name and email to [email protected] with the subject line “IMREC Diary Sign Up”.
A full FAQ along with further information on the project can be found on the IMREC website. Any further queries may be directed to [email protected].
Inland Fisheries Ireland Comments on Investigation Into Eels’ Passage of Ardnacrusha Turbines
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) says it would welcome a review of turbine operations at the Ardnacrusha power plant around the peak time for eel migrations.
The statement comes following the publication of its investigation into a report of a fish kill in the lower Shannon last December, allegedly resulting from eels passing through the hydroelectric turbines during Storm Barra.
IFI says a report was received from a member of the public on its confidential hotline late on 8 December, which relayed information seen on social media.
Fisheries officers undertook a detailed investigation during daylight over the next two days, with only one dead eel recovered.
“However, finding only one dead eel may have been due to a variety of reasons,” it says. “For example, there was a time lag between the incident and the reporting of the incident…. Therefore, dead eels may have been taken by predators or are very likely to have been swept further downstream.”
IFI notes the “well-established fact” that the use of hydroelectric turbines such as those used in the ESB plant at Ardnacrusha “results in significant mortalities of eels moving downstream to sea”.
It adds: “In fact, the operation of the turbines at the Ardnacrusha hydroelectric station is estimated to kill over 21% of the total run of down-migrating eels.”
The fisheries body emphasises that it does not have a statutory role in regulating operations at Ardnacrusha, and that fisheries on the River Shannon are owned by the ESB.
“However, Inland Fisheries Ireland would welcome a review of the flow and turbine operations around the time of peak silver eels’ migration. This would improve eel survival rates in the future and improve fish passage generally via the old River Shannon channel,” it says.
The report into this incident can be downloaded below.
The deadline to enter the second online lottery for ‘brown tags’ for wild salmon angling on the Lower River Lee is midnight on Friday 8 April.
A further 38 brown tags will be issued on Monday 11 April, following the first lottery for 38 tags on 31 January, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.
Under brown tag regulations, an angler who wishes to ‘harvest’ a wild salmon and keep it must attach a brown tag as well as a standard blue tag to the fish.
To help conserve stocks of wild salmon within the Lower River Lee, No 5 or Cork District, a total of 152 brown tags will be available for the season and will be distributed to anglers with a 2022 rod licence through a series of online lotteries.
Anglers interested in entering the second draw are being asked to email their request to Inland Fisheries Ireland at [email protected] between now and midnight on Friday 8 April only.
Within this email, anglers must provide their name, contact address and telephone number and they must also quote their 2022 Salmon Licence number. Only one entry is permitted per licence holder into the draw.
Anglers with a 2022 rod licence who are not allocated a brown tag are only permitted to fish for salmon on a ‘catch and release’ basis on the Lower River Lee, where the salmon is returned safely to the same waterbody.
Further details are available from the Inland Fisheries Ireland’s website or by phoning its Macroom office on (026) 41221.
In accordance with the Control of Fishing for Salmon Order 2022, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) invites applications for commercial salmon fishing licences (draft net and snap net).
Application forms may be obtained from your local IFI office listed below:
- IFI Dublin, Tel: 01 884 2600
- IFI Clonmel, Tel: 052 618 0055
- IFI Macroom, Tel: 026 41221
- IFI Limerick, Tel: 061 300 238
- IFI Galway, Tel: 091 563 118
- IFI Ballina, Tel: 096 22788
- IFI Ballyshannon, Tel: 071 985 1435
The statutory closing date for receipt of completed applications to the relevant IFI office is Friday 8 April. Applications received after this date cannot be accepted.
New Book Brings ‘Long-Lost Treasure’ of Irish Angling to New Generations Around the World
Traditional Irish salmon flies, commissioned 120 years ago for the Cork International Exhibition in 1902, are set to feature in a new historical picture book to mark World Book Day on Thursday 3 March.
Fly tying involves the ‘dressing’ of a fishing hook to create an artificial fly, which is then used by anglers at the end of a rod and line to catch fish.
It’s a little-known part of Ireland’s heritage but many angling shops in Ireland in the late 1800s and early 1900s employed ‘fly dressers’. Some were considered masters of their craft, thanks to their skills, creativity and the traditional methods that they used.
In recognition of the cultural importance of this craft and to record examples, a collection of traditional fly dressings was commissioned in 1902, with specific sets of flies collected for each of the 20 fishery districts throughout the country.
The current custodians of this important collection, Inland Fisheries Ireland, is publishing the 1902 Cork Collection of Salmon Flies picture book online this week, making it freely available to new generations around the world.
“This new book offers a unique glimpse into Ireland’s past, showcasing the detail and beauty of traditional Irish salmon flies and the wide range of materials and techniques used by Irish fly dressers at the time,” said Shane O’Reilly, manager of the project for Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI).
“Many of those fly dressers are now revered around the world for the quality of their craft, so this collection is of significant cultural importance too, and is now available for the next generation to discover.”
Over a hundred years after the Cork International Exhibition took place, interest in the collection was reignited by angling author, the late EJ ‘Ted’ Malone, who described the collection as a “long lost treasure of Irish angling”.
Malone worked alongside Peter Kealey and Peter Dunne — all fly-tying experts — to meticulously examine, photograph and record the various fly dressings. Sadly, Ted Malone passed away in 2017 and the book is dedicated to his memory.
Over 380 individual salmon flies have been catalogued for this project, representing 20 fishery districts such as Galway, Ballina, Killarney, Dublin, Ballyshannon and Lismore. These flies were often ‘dressed’ for use on specific rivers or lakes, with subtle differences in hue and colour to reflect what was believed to be the best pattern on that fishery, at a particular time of year.
IFI says it is exploring ways of putting the original collection on display once more and members of the public are being encouraged to contact the state agency with any suggestions they may have.
The 1902 Cork Collection of Salmon Flies is available to view and download from Issuu HERE.
Primary School Artists Wanted to Help Promote Conservation in 2022 ‘Something Fishy’ Contest
Fifth and sixth class pupils around the country are being asked to design a poster that encourages greater conservation of Ireland’s native fish.
Organised by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) in conjunction with Blackrock Education Centre, the national poster competition is part of the Something Fishy educational programme and officially kicks off this month.
The winning posters will be used as part of an awareness campaign to promote the ‘catch, photo and release’ (CPR) method of angling in Ireland.
Under the CPR approach, a fish that is caught with a rod by an angler is quickly photographed and then returned safely back into the same water to swim away.
As a result, greater numbers of fish can be conserved in rivers, lakes and around coastlines, putting less pressure on fish populations and boosting biodiversity.
To enter, primary school students are being asked to create a poster with the ‘catch, photo and release’ message, take a photograph of it and then submit it by email before the closing date of Friday 15 April.
The winning students in the fifth and sixth class categories will receive a tablet to the value of €500 and will have their work featured in an awareness campaign.
In 2021, IFI and the Blackrock Education Centre ran a national poetry competition, with two young poets from Tipperary and Carlow scooping the top prizes.
To enter the 2022 competition, parents, guardians or teachers are asked to email original entries to [email protected] before Friday 15 April. Only one entry is allowed per pupil and all winners will be announced in early June.
Free resources with further details about the competition are available from www.somethingfishy.ie
