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Matt
Nolan, Inspector, Shannon Regional Fisheries Board reply to Irish
Federation of Pike Angling Club's
Re:
Irish Federation of Pike Angling Clubs
26th February 2004
Dear David,
I refer to our telephone conversation this morning in relation to
gill netting on the Midland Trout Lakes.
It is the Board's policy to actively maintain five waters as Wild
Brown Trout Fisheries out of over a thousand within the Region.
Based on scientific advice, which has not been discredited, it is
necessary to remove Pike from these waters. The removal is undertaken
in a sensitive manner and the Board has led the way in the removal
of fish alive to other suitable fisheries. We have continued to
enhance this programme where resources allow and will continue to
do so.
The Board reviewed its Predator Control Programme, as it does with
all its programmes, in recent months, and decided that as the results
were promising it would increase its efforts to capture Pike on
these five waters by none destructive methods within available resources.
The Board also reviewed the Pike Policy Report and endorsed same
with some amendments. As a result, while the report has not been
ratified by the Department, we will seek to implement the recommendations
pertaining to the Shannon Board as resources become available.
I wish to confirm that The Shannon Regional Fisheries Board will
in the first incidents be using none destructive methods however
should this prove ineffective or the funds are not available we
reserve our position to revert to gill nets for the purpose of pike
removal. The Board has decided to use electrical fishing equipment
on a trial basis for two years for the purpose of removing pike
under 80 cm. from trout lakes for re-stocking into pike lakes elsewhere
in the Shannon Region.
We will in conjunction with CFB be carrying out a fish population
study over a three day period on Lough Sheelin this will involve
the use of gill nets.
I trust this is the information you require and if you need any
further information on any aspect of our work in relation to pike
please get back to me.
Yours sincerely
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Matt Nolan
INSPECTOR
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