#InlandWaterways - Plans for one of Northern Ireland's biggest road schemes are in jeopardy after it emerged that construction could interfere with important salmon rivers.

As the Belfast Telegraph reports, High Court Justice Stephens said he was "minded" to put a stop to the A5 road project between Derry and South Tyrone as he found there had been a failure to carry out an impact assessment on the Special Areas of Conservation designated on the Rivers Foyle and Finn.

Both rivers are important for migrating salmon whose numbers are dwindling in Northern Ireland's waterways, despite reports of isolated surplus counts in areas like Lough Melvin.

The Department for Regional Development now has till next Friday to argue that the omission in their preparations should not prompt the quashing of plans for the new cross-border route.

The Belfast Telegraph has more on the story HERE.

#FishFarm - As many as 2,000 people attended the protest in Galway against the proposed deep sea fish farm off the Aran Islands at the weekend.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the demonstration was organised by Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages on Saturday 2 March in opposition to the 500-hectare organic salmon farm proposed by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM).

Among the speakers on the day, as The Irish Times reports, was Icelandic salmon conservationist Orri Vigfusson, who claimed the fish farm could interfere with the migration of salmon smolts from both Ireland and the rest of Europe.

GBASC vice-chairman Tommy Casserly also spoke, referring to the fish farm project as "a toxic cloud containing seven million caged salmon with all those faeces and chemicals and lice, between the Atlantic and 15,000 wild salmon which come through these waters".

Later in the day a delegation attempted to hand a letter of protest to BIM staff attending the Skipper Expo in the city, but said it was refused.

If the Galway Bay fish farm project gets the go-ahead, it would be the largest aquaculture facility of its type in Europe and would double the State's production rate of organic salmon.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

#Angling - Six new bylaws of relevance to the angling community and the commercial fishing industry have been signed into law this week by Minister of State Fergus O'Dowd.

The Conservation of Sea Trout Bye-Law provides for a daily bag limit of three sea trout (less than 40cm in length and provides for the use of single barbless hooks and prohibits the use of worms as bait once the specified number of sea trout has been caught.

The Prohibition of Angling Methods Bye-Law prohibits the use of any fish hooks, other than single barbless hooks, and also prohibits the use of worms as bait in angling for all species of fish in the waterways specified.

The Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout (Newport River) Bye-Law provides for catch and release in respect of Salmon and Sea Trout (over 40 cm) in the Newport River including the waters of Lough Beltra and the Crumpaun River, Co Mayo during the period 20 March to 11 May 2013.

The Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout (River Nore) Bye-Law provides for catch and release in respect of Salmon and Sea Trout (over 40 cm) in the River Nore during the period 17 March to 11 May 2013.

The Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout (River Slaney) Bye-Law extends the annual close season in angling for salmon, sea trout and brown trout in the River Slaney and its tributaries in the year 2013 from 26 February to 16 March and from 17 September to 30 September. The bylaw provides for catch and release during the period 17 March to 16 September in angling for salmon and sea trout. It also provides for the use of artificial fly only with single barbless hook upstream of the Old Bridge in Enniscorthy, and provides for single barbless hook and a ban on worms as bait downstream of the bridge when angling for salmon or sea trout.

Finally, the Draft Nets and Snap Nets Bye-Law sets out the opening and closing dates (and hours) for the draft net and snap net salmon and sea trout (salmon includes sea trout as defined in the Inland Fisheries Act 2010) commercial fishing season 2013 and prohibits draft net and snap net fishing for (salmon and sea trout) in all fishery districts except those mentioned in the schedule. It also prohibits the use of monofilament material in draft nets, with the exception of Cork Harbour and Castlemaine Harbour where monofilament material in draft nets is permitted.

#Fishfarm - Galway Bay FM reports that a major protest is set to take place in Galway this weekend against the proposed deep sea fish farm off the Aran Islands.

Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages is organising the demonstration from Eyre Square on Saturday 2 March at noon in opposition to the 500-hectare organic salmon farm proposed by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM).

The facility, to be located off Inis Oírr in Galway Bay, would be the largest of its kind in Europe and would double the State's production rate of organic salmon, cited by BIM as Ireland's leading organic food export.

However, the scheme has been facing strong opposition from fisheries groups and local anglers citing the potential environmental impact on wild salmon numbers and the threat to tourism in the area.

Inland Fisheries Ireland is among those bodies that have expressed concern over the fish farm plans, citing research on the effect of sea lice emanating from aquaculture facilities on the mortality rate of wild Atlantic salmon.

BIM responded to news of the protest by stating such action may be unnecessary due to the appeal mechanism available in the State's decision process.

#Angling - Inland Fisheries Ireland has recently added two new guides to its list of resources for anglers fishing in Ireland.

The West of Ireland Sea Angling Guide covers the region from Westport, in Clew Bay, south to the rocky headlands of North Clare, including Galway Bay, Connemara, Killary, Louisburgh, Clew Bay, and the offshore islands of Inisbofin, Inisturk and the Aran Islands.

The guide is in no way comprehensive, and the list of marks and venues is just a sample of what is available across the region's waterways. There are literally hundreds of shore marks in the region that have rarely, if ever, been fished, but the potential waiting to be explored is immense. Getting off the beaten path and trying a new mark may produce the fish of a lifetime.

In addition, the County Sligo Game Angling Guide covers the main game angling waters in the district. It contains information on the location of each fishery as well as details in relation to contacts, permitted angling methods, angling seasons, etc.

Meanwhile, IFI has received numerous submissions from individual anglers, angling organisations and angling tourist providers regarding restrictions on the use of prawn/shrimp as a salmon angling bait on the River Suir for the 2013 season.

IFI is interested to hear the views of other angling stakeholders or from those who wish to make further submissions.

Submissions can be made to IFI Clonmel by email at [email protected] or by post to Inland Fisheries Ireland, Anglesea Street, Clonmel, Co Tipperary.

The closing date for receipt of submissions is 28 February 2013.

#FishFarm - RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland reports on last night's public meeting in Galway on the proposed deep sea fish farm in Galway Bay.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the 500-hectare organic salmon farm proposed by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) would be located off Inis Oírr in the Aran Islands, and would be the largest of its kind in Europe, set to double the State's production rate of organic salmon.

BIM's aquaculture development manager Donal McGuire moved to reassure concerned locals that the agency was "not about to damage [its] reputation" by "doing something foolish or doing something that will cause serious environmental damage".

McGuire added that organic salmon is Ireland's leading organic food export but is in "very very short supply", and that business would be lost to producers in Scotland and Norway.

However, the scheme has faced strong opposition from fisheries groups and local anglers citing the potential environmental impact on wild salmon numbers and the threat to tourism in the area.

At last night's meeting, RTE's western correspondent Pat McGrath says just two of the more than 100 in attendance spoke in support of the fish farm plans.

Another public meeting on the proposals is scheduled for tonight in Rossaveal.

BIM is expected to hold a public tender process for the proposed salmon farm project pending approval by Marine Minister Simon Coveney.

#Angling - Anglers on both sides of the border will be looking forward to a salmon bonanza on Lough Melvin when it opens for fishing on Friday 1 February, according to the Impartial Reporter.

The Fermanagh lake has been bucking the trend of declining fish stocks in Northern Ireland's inland waterways, which have prompted concerns that the species has been reduced to 'dodo levels'.

Despite the news last October that just three out of every 100 wild salmon returned to Northern Ireland's rivers in 2011, fishery experts believe that Lough Melvin and the River Downes that connects it to the sea have a surplus of salmon - providing valuable sport (and dinner) for angling locals and tourists alike.

Even so, anglers in both jurisdictions of the border-straddling fishery will have to abide by their respective legislation, which provides for a strict tagging and recording system.

On the Northern Ireland side, anglers are issued one tag at a time up to a total of three for the first three months of the season, with a maximum of 10 issued for any single angler on Lough Melvin by the close of fishing on 30 September.

The Impartial Reporter has much more on the story HERE.

#Tourism - How's this for a unique winter break in Ireland - a visit to a century-old seaweed bathhouse in Sligo, anyone?

That's what Guardian writer Nick Fisher did recently when he and his family spent a week in the north-west to partake of Kilcullen's Seaweed Baths, right next to the shore at Enniscrone beach.

Angling is the big tourism draw for the region, now that the salmon season is well underway, with the River Moy providing all the sport a caster could want at any level.

But it's the seaweed baths - fed with water and fresh seaweed from Enniscrone Bay - that put a unique stamp on the whole experience, according to Fisher.

"People with skin conditions... as well as sportsmen and women love these baths," he writes. "Many of the local pensioners have season tickets ('To warm their old bones in the winters') and I'm told it is a very popular hangover cure.

"After the hot silky seaweed soak, the stinging, cleansing, pins-and-needles of the cold seawater shower leaves a bather feeling newly minted."

The Guardian has more on the story HERE.

#Angling - The start of a new three-year strategy to study the life cycle of the salmon will be a priority for the Atlantic Salmon Trust (AST) in 2013.

Writing in The Irish Times yesterday, angling correspondent Derek Evans highlights the key points from the trust's newsletter review of 2012, which discusses the 'Three Pillar' approach identified at last month's Ocean Silver Conference.

Under the first pillar, the 'ocean zone', the AST will identify migration routes and work with relevant authorities to ensure salmon movements are monitored and that fish are given safe passage.

The second pillar comprises coastal waters, whereby threats to salmon migrations such as pollution, climate change and renewable energy projects will be tackled.

'The Freshwater Environment' is the third pillar, which will raise a more holistic awareness of salmon fisheries, from river slows to the role of small streams and the potential benefits of stocking.

Salmon stocking will be the subject of a major conference hosted by the AST in tandem with IBIS in Glasgow this coming November, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

#Angling - The Minister of State for Natural Resources has said the unchanged cost of fishing licences this year should encourage angling tourism in Ireland.

Commenting Thursday on his approval of the new regulations and by-laws for Ireland's wild salmon fishery which came into force on 1 January, Minister Fergus O'Dowd said: "Last year I lowered the cost of fishing licences and I have decided to maintain that price cut for 2013.

"I am anxious that lower costs will encourage sales of annual licences and incentivise angling tourists to avail of the Ireland’s first-class angling product."

Last week Afloat.ie reported that the Irish Times' angling correspondent Derek Evans welcomed the regulation changes for the start of this year's salmon season.

In an update to previously reported figures, conservation measures for this year involve the closure of 58 rivers due to a lack of surplus fish, down from 64 closures in 2012, while 62 rivers are open for fishing in what marks a significant rise on last year.

"This will provide opportunities for commercial fishermen and anglers to share this important resource on a sustainable basis," the minister commented.

Additionally, the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme regulations are "in essence unchanged" from last year.