Article in "The Anglo Celt" dated 10th April 2003

by Sean Mc Mahon

FOR years the pollution battle reigned supreme on the expansive waters of Lough Sheelin. Now a row has erupted between the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board who wish to develop Sheelin as an exclusive wild brown trout fishery and the Irish Federation of Pike Angling Clubs who insist that it should be left as a 'mixed fishery'.
Matt Nolan, Shannon Regional Fisheries Board confirmed that in a separate development, fish and gill nets valued at Euro20,000 had either been stolen or destroyed on Lough Sheelin in recent weeks. He revealed that the gardai are actively investigating the matter.
Mr Nolan explained that the fish and gill nets are being used by the Board to remove Pike from the lake. "We are transferring most of the pike over to coarse fishing and pike lakes in Roscommon and to some lakes in various parts of County Cavan".
Mr. Nolan claimed that the Board was aware of the identity of individuals who were damaging the nets on an organised basis.
He explained that the Fisheries Board was removing a percentage of the pike from Lough Sheelin in order to give the trout a better chance to survive. Lough Sheelin, according to Mr Nolan, is numbered amongst the best twelve brown trout lakes in the World.
"We are in the business of endeavouring to develop Sheelin as a brown trout fishery". Part of the process is a concerted process designed to reduce the number of pike, especially the larger ones. The main diet of pike is trout and the bigger pike are decimating trout stocks.
"We remove the pike at this time of the year by putting the gill nets in shallow areas of the lake. Some of the nets stretch for a distance of 400 metres.
The pike get caught in the nets and they are removed and transferred into tanks with oxygen. They are then taken by lorry to Lakes in Roscommon and Leitrim.

The Chairman of the Irish Federation of Pike Angling Clubs John Chambers, told The Anglo Celt that he would not condone any damage caused to nets, even though his association is opposed to gill nets.
Mr. Chambers said that he had no knowledge of nets being stolen. "I resent any inferences that any of my members would be involved in any such activity", he said.
He claimed that the pike were not being taken out of the nets quickly enough and said that the transfer of fish was not as regular as claimed. In fact, he said, fish and gill nets were effectively designed to kill fish.
Mr. Chambers added that there were more pike anglers on Sheelin than trout anglers. He said the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board had been endeavouring to keep the lake as a wild brown trout fishery for years.
He claimed that a stock assessment survey was carried out recently and the number of wild brown trout was half the number found last year. He could not understand how it could be called a wild brown trout fishery, when 20,000 'farmed trout' had been put in the lake. While he accepted that pike eat trout, they also eat other pike, roach and bream in the lake. Mr Chambers claimed that the Fisheries Board had invested heavily to revive Sheelin as a trout fishery, without success.
He said the conditions in Sheelin were favourable for coarse fish and there are record size roach, bream, tench and pike in the lake.
"If the board would allow this asset to be marketed and allow proper fishing to take place on the lake, the guest houses around Sheelin would be full all year round".
He claimed that pike anglers or coarse anglers were not being allowed to use suitable baits, to catch these fish.
"They (Shannon Regional Fishery Board) should face the reality of the situation that Lough Sheelin could no longer be described as a brown trout fishery. It is a mixed fishery and this resource should be exploited as such in the public good and coarse anglers allowed to fish on the lake all year round", he said.
While there has always been an element of poaching, it has been given renewed impetus recently, due to the fishing activities of some non-nationals who seem to have a penchant for roach, bream, tench and pike, which are being sold.
There is also evidence that poachers are cutting up nets and using them to net coarse fish in other smaller lakes.

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