The Celtic Sea Trout Project has its official launch at Coillte's Avondale House, Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow this evening. This groundbreaking €2million project, mainly funded by the Wales – Ireland Interreg programme, will see Inland Fisheries Ireland work closely with anglers, fishery owners, netsmen, inshore and offshore marine fishermen and in cooperation across the 6 political and administrative regions with separate jurisdictions over the Irish Sea with the ultimate goal of ensuring sustainable sea trout fisheries.
Sea trout support and sustain important and valuable fisheries throughout the study area and are a unique and potentially valuable indicator of environmental change and the quality of the aquatic environment. The overall project aims are to further the proactive conservation of trout biodiversity and to enable better management of sea trout stocks in their freshwater and marine environments so as to strengthen their social, economic and cultural benefits to local and regional communities. It also aims to promote cooperative working, the effective dissemination of knowledge and a wider general awareness of management needs and options for the conservation and sustainable management of sea trout stocks.
Launching the project Minister Conor Lenihan commented that "the Celtic Sea Trout project represents a major step forward to achieving our ultimate goal of maintaining healthy fish stocks that support biodiversity, sustainable fisheries and provide optimum benefits for the general community as a whole".
For further information on the Celtic Sea Trout Project please log on to www.celticseatrout.com