State-owned forestry company Coillte and its contractor, Oliver Kelly Timber Harvesting Ltd, have both pleaded guilty to breaches of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959 in a case brought by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI).

Following reports of pollution in November 2021 along the Glenaboy River, a tributary of the Bride River in Co Cork, officers from IFI found heavy deposits of silt, vehicle tracks in the river bed and a lack of adequate silt control in an area where Oliver Kelly Timber Harvesting Ltd had been carrying out thinning operations on behalf of Coillte.

As a result, IFI estimated that significant damage had been done to spawning beds and that a valuable stretch of the river had been lost to spawning wild Atlantic salmon and sea trout that year.

Sitting before Judge Colm Roberts at Mallow District Court on Monday 28 November, Coillte pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 171 (1) of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959.

Also before the court on that date was Oliver Kelly Timber Harvesting Ltd, which Judge Roberts believed were the main instigators of the silt discharge to the Glenaboy River.

Judge Roberts afforded Coillte the benefit of the Probation of Offenders Act and ordered a payment of €2,000 to Tallow TidyTowns Committee.

Oliver Kelly Timber Harvesting Ltd were also found guilty of a breach of Section 171 as well as Section 173 of the 1959 Act and Section 3 of the Local Government (Water Pollution) (Amendment) Act 1977. The company was also given the benefit of the Probation Act and ordered to pay €2,000 to the Tallow Anglers Association, €1,500 to the Tallow TidyTowns Committee and post a bond of €1,500 for a period of two years under Section 1-1(2) of the Probation Act.

The court heard evidence that IFI officers, including senior fisheries environmental officer Andrew Gillespie, visited the location between Sunday 20 and Tuesday 22 November following reports of pollution.

There was evidence of silt in the river over a five-kilometre stretch downstream of the thinning operation’s location. Gillespie highlighted that the time of the occurrence, in November, was particularly relevant as it was the critical spawning period and that the effect of the silt discharge would be to smother any eggs deposited in the spawning gravels.

Speaking in court, Judge Roberts remarked that Coillte “didn’t properly supervise” the thinning operations and that their contractor “didn’t supervise properly as he was overstretched,” before observing that “when State agencies fail in their obligations, we are in big trouble”.

Sean Long, director of the South Western River Basin District at IFI welcomed the decision, noting that neither Coillte nor their contractor had been before the courts before and had cooperated fully with IFI to implement immediate mitigation measures at the site.

Speaking after verdict was delivered, Long said: “Located in the Munster Blackwater Special Area of Conservation, the Glenaboy River is a very important spawning ground for returning wild Atlantic salmon and sea trout, which are very vulnerable species protected by conservation measures and legislation.

“Sadly, the damage that was done to these spawning beds through pollution was significant, meaning that a valuable stretch of this river had been lost for spawning salmon and sea trout last year.”

Salmon and sea trout licences for 2023 are now available for immediately purchase through the Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) online shop.

Hard-copy licences will be available from distributors around the country over the coming weeks, adds the State body for the protection, management and conservation of Ireland’s inland fisheries and sea angling resources.

There are no price increases for salmon and sea trout angling/rod licences for 2023 and there are seven different types of licence available:

• The A: Annual Licence (€100) entitles you to fish for salmon and sea trout in all fishery districts during the 2023 season.
• The B: District Licence (€64) allows you to fish for salmon and sea trout in one fishery district only for the 2023 season.
• The P: Juvenile Licence (€10) is for anglers up to and including 17 years of age. This licence entitles you to fish for salmon and sea trout in all fishery districts for the 2023 season.
• The R: 21-Day Licence (€50) is an all-districts licence which entitles you to fish for salmon and sea trout on 21 consecutive days in 2023 season.
• The S: 1-Day Licence (€36) is a single day, all-districts licence and entitles you to fish for salmon and sea trout.
• The W: Foyle Area Extension Licence (€84) entitles you to fish for salmon and sea trout in the Republic of Ireland in all fishery districts. However, to acquire one from IFI, an angler must have acquired a valid ‘Adult Game Season’ licence or ‘Adult Game Endorsement’ licence from the Loughs Agency.
• The X: Special Local Licence (€26) is required to fish for sea trout in the Erne Estuary.

Prices for angling/rod licences in Ireland are approved by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on foot of a recommendation by the board of IFI. These are the prices that will be applied by IFI for all angling/rod licences purchased for the 2023 season.

Half of the revenue generated from licence fees goes directly into the Habitat and Conservation Fund to help fund salmon and sea trout habitat improvement, fisheries conservation, and protection activities in Ireland.

Since 2016, more than €6 million in grants have been awarded to over 280 projects throughout the country under various funding schemes operated by IFI.

To buy your 2023 salmon and sea trout licence now, visit the Inland Fisheries Ireland online shop.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has launched a funding call of up to €1 million to support vital conservation projects around the country through the Salmon and Sea Trout Rehabilitation, Conservation and Protection Fund.

Since 2016, more than €6 million in grants have been awarded to over 280 projects throughout the country under various funding schemes operated by IFI.

From now until Friday 16 December, eligible angling clubs, fishery owners and other stakeholders are invited to express their interest in applying for funding to support fisheries conservation through IFI’s Habitats and Conservation Scheme.

Priority will be given to projects that focus on habitat rehabilitation and conservation, such as rehabilitating damaged river habitats, improving water quality and helping fish overcome physical barriers like weirs.

In similar schemes in 2022, a total of €1,123,000 in funding was approved for 35 habitats and conservation projects based in Cavan, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Leitrim, Limerick, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Wexford, Westmeath and Wicklow.

A rock ramp fish pass on the Burren River at Ballinacarrig, Co Carlow | Credit: IFI

Suzanne Campion, head of business development at IFI said that the scheme’s focus is on protecting and conserving fish species and their habitats for future generations.

“Since 2016, projects under the Habitats and Conservation Fund have delivered approximately 29km of in-stream maintenance works and 37 kilometres of habitat restoration works. As well as that, 83km of spawning and nursery habitats have been made more accessible to migratory fish species, through five fish passage projects,” she said.

“Under the Habitats and Conservation Scheme, which is made possible through fishing licence and permit income, groups can now apply for grants to fund projects and measures in 2023 to continue this vital environmental work.”

In addition to the €1 million in funding available through the Salmon and Sea Trout Rehabilitation, Conservation and Protection Fund, up to €50,000 is available through the Midlands Fisheries Fund.

An information guide about the funding call is available to download. As part of the two-step process, all applicants must firstly complete an ‘Expression of Interest’ application on Inland Fisheries Ireland’s online grant management portal before 5.30pm on Friday 16 December.

After expressions of interest have been completed, full applications that align to fund objectives can be submitted via the online grant management portal until 5.30pm on Friday 27 January 2023. Decisions on applications and grants will be announced by IFI in May 2023.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is working on a new Customer Charter and Action Plan for 2023 to 2025 — and welcomes public input on its drafting.

Customer charters are short statements describing the level of service that you can expect from a State agency.

IFI is currently conducting a quality assurance review of its existing customer charter and is seeking feedback and suggestions via an online survey.

The State agency for Ireland’s inland fisheries and sea angling resources says: “Your views can really help shape our new Customer Charter, so please take a few moments to fill out our short survey to share your views with us. It will only take between five and 10 minutes to complete.”

The survey closes on 9pm on Monday 5 December.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) says it is progressing its plans to develop a new modern fish farm facility in Co Tipperary based on ‘recirculating aquaculture system’ (RAS) technology.

The new aquaculture project will be located in Roscrea and it will shortly enter the design and planning permission phase.

It is expected that the new fish farm will become operational in 2026, says the the statutory body responsible for inland fisheries in Ireland.

In the meantime, IFI says it expects to continue its current fish farm operations as normal, supplying brown trout and rainbow trout to its angling stakeholders.

IFI has has placed a Prior Information Notice (PIN) on the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).

Any businesses or individuals that are interested in this public procurement process can register for email alerts on the eTenders website.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is now inviting applications from oyster fishers seeking a licence to operate an oyster dredge for the 2023 season.

The licence fee for 2023 is €94 and applications will only be accepted from applicants with boats on the sea fishing boat register of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Completed applications for next year’s season — addressed to the relevant IFI office and stating which fishery for which the application is being sought — must be received before noon on Monday 5 December.

For more information, the procedure and application form, see the IFI website HERE.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) says it is now preparing a draft Irish Language Scheme for review by An Coimisinéir Teanga following a public consultation this past summer.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the initiative aims for accordance with Section 11 of the Official Languages Act 2003, which has the goal of ensuring better availability and a higher standard of public services through the Irish language.

IFI says one public submission (from Conradh na Gaeilge) was received during the six-week consultation process, which concluded on 6 July, and it has made that submission available to download in English and Irish.

Three Mayo men have been convicted of false imprisonment, assault and obstruction as they attempted to evade fisheries officers from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) at Belderrig Pier on the North Mayo coast two years ago.

At a sitting of Ballina District Court on 12 July this year, Judge Fiona Lydon also convicted the men of possessing illegally caught wild Atlantic salmon and nets, in charges brought by IFI. The charges of false imprisonment were brought by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Daniel McHale, with an address of Belderrig Mor in Ballina, was sentenced to six months in prison, which was suspended for two years. Liam McHale of Carnrock in Belmullet was sentenced to four months in prison, also suspended for two years. Joachim McNulty, with an address of Belderrig Beg in Ballina, was sentenced to four months in prison, which was suspended for two years. The three men were also ordered to pay €2,500 each to charity.

The court heard evidence from Lonan O’Farrell, an inspector with IFI that on the evening of 15 July 2020, the men were approached by fisheries officers as they recovered their boat at Belderrig Pier on the North Mayo coast.

The fisheries officers suspected that the men had illegally caught wild Atlantic salmon and illegal gill nets on board but were obstructed and assaulted when they lawfully attempted to board the vessel.

A fisheries officer was subsequently assaulted and knocked overboard by one of the men, but two colleagues managed to board the vessel. When the fisheries officer swam safely back to the pier, the court heard that emergency services were contacted and An Garda Síochána quickly arrived on the scene.

With two fisheries officers still on board, the men took the boat out to sea and refused to obey orders to return the boat back to port. A short time later, the men agreed to bring the boat back to port and the fisheries officers were able to get back to the pier safely.

The boat, An Deiseach, was later detained in Porturlin Harbour where forensics and salmon scale samples were taken as evidence for the subsequent criminal prosecution. Fisheries officers, along with An Garda Síochana, seized three vehicles on the night belonging to the men in question.

Inspector Pat Armstrong, officer Brian Flannery and assistant inspector Michael Wilson, all with IFI, also gave evidence during court proceedings providing their accounts of the incident to Judge Lydon.

IFI chief executive Francis O’Donnell welcomed the convictions, saying it was one of the most serious incidents that the agency has come across.

“Thanks to the brave actions of our fisheries Oofficers, a major illegal fishing gang has been stopped and brought to justice,” he said. “However, in the course of doing their job to protect vulnerable fish species, such as wild Atlantic salmon, they were obstructed, assaulted and falsely imprisoned. This is not acceptable and cannot be tolerated in Irish society.

“This very serious case sends out a clear message to those involved in illegal fishing — we will use our full powers under the law to protect people doing their jobs and to prosecute offenders through the courts.”

O’Donnell also thanked An Garda Síochána and the Director of Public Prosecutions on behalf of IFI for their assistance in the case.

Fisheries Officers have nominated three charities — the Charlie Bird Fund, Western Alzheimer’s Association and the RNLI — to receive the three €2,500 donations.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has opened a new footbridge over the Owenea River near Glenties in Co Donegal.

In a welcome boost for angling access on the Owenea fishery, the new steel footbridge was commissioned by IFI to replace the former ‘Green Bridge’, which was constructed in the 1970s but had fallen into disrepair.

The new steel footbridge is now officially open to anglers and the public.

Funded through the National Strategy for Angling Development, the custom-designed footbridge will provide safe access to both banks of the Owenea fishery between Beats 4 and 5, near Glenties.

The Owenea fishery, which is directly managed by IFI, remains one of the most productive salmon rivers in Co Donegal.

The fishery has a good run of salmon and sea trout as well as a resident stock of small brown trout and is popular with local anglers as well as visiting sport fishers travelling from abroad.

Milton Matthews, director of the North-Western River Basin District with IFI, announced the opening of the bridge, saying: “The Owenea fishery in Donegal is a popular destination for both local and visitor salmon anglers to the area.

“Installation of this new bridge is the culmination of over four years of work in terms of completion of the various safety, engineering and associated environmental reports and planning permission requirements needed.

“Inland Fisheries Ireland would like to acknowledge the contribution and support of various local landowners, contractors, Donegal County Council, local angling clubs and dommunity development groups, who have all contributed to and welcomed the successful delivery of this project.”

IFI has an ongoing programme of maintenance and upgrading of angling access along the Owenea River, including the improvement of angling infrastructure such as stiles, footbridges and walkways.

Constructed in the 1970s, the Green Bridge was used extensively over the years by anglers, recreational walkers and local residents.

However, following safety audits conducted by IFI, consultant engineers were commissioned in 2021 to conduct a full examination of the structural integrity and suitability of the structure as a pedestrian footbridge. The report confirmed that the steelwork of the existing bridge was severely corroded and no longer fit for purpose.

Although IFI didn’t own or manage the Green Bridge, the State agency responsible for the conservation and protection of freshwater fish and habitats — and the development and promotion of angling — undertook responsibility for its removal and installation of a replacement galvanised footbridge to ensure safe access to both banks of the Owenea River for the angling community.

Before the old footbridge could be removed however, IFI had to commission several reports and surveys, including Appropriate Assessment Screening, a freshwater pearl mussel survey and Natura Impact Statement (NIS). Planning permission was then sought through Donegal County Council for removal and replacement of the old bridge.

Following a public procurement process, Source Civil Ltd was appointed as the contractor to remove the original Green Bridge and to prefabricate and install a new custom-designed footbridge from W.D. Buchanan & Co Ltd. This necessitated a temporary road closure and traffic diversion whilst the Green Bridge was removed and the new bridge was lifted into place by Quinn Crane Hire.  

Matthews added: “Completion of this new footbridge is a vital element in the overall management and development of the Owenea salmon fishery and a welcome addition for angling access and the local community.”

Salmon and sea trout anglers who fished during the 2022 season are being reminded to return their logbooks and any unused gill tags at the end of the season.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is encouraging such anglers to return their angling logbooks — setting out their fishing and catch record — and any unused gill tags from 2022 if they have finished fishing for this year or once the season has closed.

Under the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme, anglers can return these in one of three ways:

• Using the postage pre-paid business return envelope that was supplied at the time of licence purchase (preferred option).
• Posting the logbook and unused gill tags to the Inland Fisheries Ireland office address that is displayed on their licence or logbook.
• Scanning and emailing logbook and licence documents to IFI at [email protected]. Important: if you are choosing this option, please scan all sides of documents, including continuation pages, to ensure that the licence names and number can be correctly linked to the logbook.

On average, 70% of anglers in Ireland return their logbooks and these returns provide vital information regarding the status and management of our wild Atlantic Salmon and Sea Trout stocks into the future.

In accordance with the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme, anglers in Ireland are required by law to return their completed logbook and all unused tags to the issuing office of IFI within seven days of licence expiry, and no later than Wednesday 19 October.

As part of the scheme, an angler must attach a valid gill tag to a salmon (any size) or sea trout (over 40cm) harvested, immediately on landing. They must enter details of their catch and/or gill tag used into their logbook.

Questions or queries should be directed to [email protected] and IFI says it will respond as quickly as possible.