Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is inviting the public to attend an information meeting about the Annacotty Fish Passage project at the Castleroy Park Hotel in Limerick this coming Tuesday evening 23 August.
Last year, Environment Minister Eamon Ryan announced that IFI would lead the Annacotty Fish Passage Project as the State agency responsible for the protection and conservation of freshwater fish and habitats such as the Mulkear.
This week’s public information meeting is being organised to make more people aware about the project at the weir and to encourage as much engagement as possible with stakeholders right across the community, including key State agencies, special interest groups, voluntary, public and private sectors.
The Mulkear is considered a vital river for a range of fish species including wild Atlantic salmon, sea, river and brook lamprey, wild brown trout and eels.
Most of the main river and its smaller tributaries in the catchment are designated as a Special Area of Conservation under the EU Habitats Directive.
However, the weir at Annacotty has been identified as a ‘significant barrier’ to the free movement of several fish species. Last December more than 10,000 people signed a petition supporting the weir’s removal, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.
In the last year, IFI says it has completed an assessment of the weir structure to quantify its fish passability and has undertaken title research to identify the owners of land and structures potentially impacted by the project.
It also secured €99,481 in funding under the Salmon and Sea Trout Rehabilitation, Conservation and Protection Fund in May of this year. This funding will be used to support the assessment and planning phase of the project to find the most appropriate solutions for fish migration and passage along the Mulkear. Environmental, technical and engineering assessments will also be funded.
Annacotty Weir as seen adjacent to The Mill Bar | Credit: IFI
At Tuesday’s meeting, the public will have an opportunity to find out more about the potential solutions being assessed to improve the passage of fish through the weir.
Ahead of the public meeting, IFI’s Suzanne Campion said: “The Annacotty Fish Passage Project is under way. We’re in a crucial phase of the project, which is to assess and evaluate the most appropriate solution for improving fish passage at Annacotty. This will enable us to reach another crucial phase: seeking planning permission.”
She added: “It’s great to see that there is growing public interest in this project. We’re organising this public information meeting on August 23rd to engage as many people as possible in the conversation about what happens next at the Annacotty weir to help improve passage for fish.”
Online registration for the free event, from 6pm at the Castletroy Park Hotel in Limerick, is available via the IFI website HERE.
The works on Annacotty Weir are part of a pilot project to assist with the design and implementation of a national barriers restoration programme currently being progressed by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in collaboration with a range of State bodies.
The Interagency Group for the Annacotty Fish Passage Project includes representatives from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications; Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; Limerick City and County Council; Office of Public Works (OPW); National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS); Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO); and ESB.
More information about the Annacotty Fish Passage Project and the upcoming Public Information Meeting is available at www.fisheriesireland.ie/annacotty.
