On Tuesday 25th September 2018, Conor Harlowe with an address at 12 Shantalla Place, Rahoon Road, Galway was convicted at Tuam District Court for refusing to give his name and address contrary to Section 301 (7) of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959 and failing to produce a licence on demand contrary to Section 303 (2) of the same Act.
Mr Harlowe did not appear in court and was convicted in his absence. The court heard that he was approached by Fisheries Officer Paul Reynolds on the evening of 24th July, 2017 as he was leaving the Clare River at Cahernahoon, County Galway. Officer Reynolds outlined to the court that Mr Harlowe failed to produce a valid salmon licence when requested, and subsequently refused to provide his name and address. Mr Harlowe then left the area in his vehicle, and was subsequently stopped by Gardaí near Galway city.
Judge James Faughnan commented on how serious a matter it was to refuse to give name and address to Fisheries Officers when it was lawfully demanded. Judge Faughnan convicted Mr Harlowe on both counts, and imposed a fine of €1,000 for refusing to give his name and address, along with a fine of €750 for failing to produce a salmon licence on demand.
He further noted that Mr Harlowe had used a vehicle in the commission of an offence and subsequently disqualified him from driving for a period of one year under Section 27 of the Road Traffic Act 1961. Costs of €600 were also awarded.
Dr Ciaran Byrne, CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland said: “Salmon and sea trout angling in Ireland are worth €210 million to the Irish economy and support 3,200 jobs, often in rural communities. The Clare River is the main tributary of Lough Corrib and is one of the most important salmon fishing rivers in the west of Ireland.
There are a number of angling clubs and hundreds of local members, providing fishing from upstream of Milltown right down to Lough Corrib. The main channel Clare River provides salmon fishing from March to September and attracts many visitors and tourists especially in the summer months. This conviction reflects the importance of conserving Ireland’s precious fisheries resource and of the value of angling to the Irish economy.”
Members of the public can report instances of illegal fishing, water pollution of invasive species by calling Inland Fisheries Ireland’s confidential hotline number on 1890 34 74 24 or 1890 FISH 24.
