A total of 82 rivers will open for salmon and sea trout angling in the 2020 season that commences this Wednesday 1 January.
“This will allow everyone to share in this important natural resource, for which conservation will be to the fore,” said Sean Canney, Minster of State with responsibility for inland fisheries, who added that “41 of the rivers will be fully open with a further 41 available on a ‘catch and release’ basis”.
Legislation governing the coming year’s wild salmon and sea trout fisheries was informed by management advice from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) on more than 140 distinct salmon stocks, and related scientific assessments carried out by the independent Technical Expert Group on Salmon (TEGOS).
The same advice was also made available as part of a statutory public consultation process during which 27 written submissions from stakeholders were received.
Along with the 82 openings, it was recommended that 65 rivers be closed for 2020 as they have no surplus of fish available for harvest.
Minister Canney said: “Ireland is internationally recognised for elevating the conservation imperative to the pinnacle of our salmon management principles and, as the International Year of the Salmon draws to a close, I am proud to have led Ireland’s participation to this global initiative.
“Environmental change and human impacts continue to place salmon and other species at risk. I am determined that the innovations of International Year of the Salmon which brought people together to share knowledge and raise awareness will endure. This is key to ensuring the resilience of salmon in Ireland and in the entire Northern Hemisphere.”
