Letter sent to Shannon Regional Fisheries Board CEO and Coarse Angling Representatives on 4th December 2003

Mr. Eamon Cusack,
Chief Executive Officer,
Shannon Regional Fisheries Board
Ashbourne Business Park,
Dock Road,
Limerick.


Dear Sir,

With the year end approaching, the Federation is considering what direction to take with regard to our current boycott of the Shrfb's "Managed Waters" and the coarse angling permit for the coming year, 2004.

As you are aware, one of the most contentious issues has been the Board's continued use of gill nets for the removal of Pike and Coarse fish from a number of the "Managed Waters" and the anomaly of Federation anglers contributing to the Board while this process continued.

We would again reiterate our objection to the use of gill nets as follows:

· The irrefutable evidenced result of gill nets leading to high mortality rates of fish caught therein, for example, up to 70% as reported during the Board's recent district court case involving this subject.
· The indiscriminate nature of those mortalities with regard to fish size and species thereby negating the possibility of the successful implemetation of any planned management policies or protocols regarding the safe release or transfer of any fish caught therein.
· The sporadic supervision and monitoring of gill nets during periods of deployment during working hours and unsupervised use outside the normal 39 hour working week of Board staff, particularly at night.
· The possible risks to the public i.e. water users, resulting from any unsupervised use of gillnets, such as propellor entanglement as reported in the Board's recent district court case involving this subject, in addition to other associated risks to the personal safety of water users, all of which are the responsibility of the Board under the 1989 Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act.

It is our intention to contact all our club's and associate members in the coming weeks to inform them of any developments on the coarse angling permit issue including any other relevant issues and to obtain their views.

In order that we can advise club's on whether or not the Board plans to continue gill netting, we ask that you please bring this letter to the attention of the Board at the December meeting and seek an answer on this issue and particularly in relation to each of our reasons for objection.

We kindly request that you please inform us of the views of the Board, by reply.


Yours sincerely,
Hon Secretary


Copied to: Mr. Joe O' Donoghue, Registered Coarse Angler , Shrfb
Copied to: Mr. Sean Young, Registered Coarse Angler, Shrfb

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