Article in "Westmeath Examiner" dated 8th March 2003

News Feature by Sharon Newman

The controversial new permit, breaching of conservation bye-laws, poaching, diseases and pollution: pike anglers have never had it so bad. But the knock-on effects, directly or indirectly, hit everybody in the country. If fishing is in trouble, the lakes are in trouble, tourism is in trouble. Sharon Newman reports on how one of Westmeath's most valuable assets is suffering……………

It's a topic that has been mentioned briefly in the media, locally and nationally, but perhaps is not being highlighted enough due to its lack of sporting 'sex appeal'. However, while angling may not be everyone's cup of tea, it is a hugely important asset to Westmeath, being a significant tourist attraction and bringing much needed funds to our local economy.
However, angling in the Lake County is seen by many to be on its knees at the moment, with increasing instances of pollution, our fish being netted and now with the implementation of a 35Euro annual fishing permit for all trout and coarse fishing, many feel that foreign tourists have no reason to come and fish our waters anymore and spend their money in our county - when they, it is claimed, can get better fish and cleaner waters at a cheaper cost elsewhere in Europe.
The permit is just the latest problem anglers are facing on our waters. Other problems include breaching of pike conservation bye-laws, poaching, diseases and pollution, which are all affecting our fish population and, in turn, our local economy.

Declining Tourist Numbers
One of the greatest promotional tools for Westmeath tourism is the probably the fact that Westmeath is known as "The Lake County". Unfortunately our beautiful lake county is suffering, as well as the rest of the country and angling tourist numbers, in particular, have fallen dramatically.
According to a Bord Failte report 'Angling Profile Bulletin' in 2001 - the latest available issue- 170,000 out of state anglers visited Ireland during the calender year 1996 to participate in angling holidays. Of this figure, 94,000 were categorised as specialist overseas tourist anglers. The May 1998 issue of the 'Angling Profile Bulletin' sets out Bord Failte's figures for 1994 (the first year for which a detailed breakdown for all the angler categories is available) and records specialist pike angler numbers reaching 31,000 for that year. However, equally eye-catching figures are those set out for visiting game anglers with a breakdown in numbers detailing brown trout anglers at 8,000, sea trout anglers at 7,000 and salmon anglers at 13,000 for the 1994 angling season. The combined total for all three categories of visiting game angler amounted to 28,000 against 31,000 specialist pike anglers and a combined total of 61,000 for both specialist pike and specialist coarse anglers.
While game angler numbers for the years 1996 to 1999 remained static, by contrast the same period recorded a very significant decline in the number of specialist pike and coarse anglers visiting Ireland. In 1996, 57,000 pike and coarse anglers visited Ireland. By 1999 however, this number had fallen to 40,000. No definitive figures have been made available covering 2001 and 2002 angling tourism seasons, but it is expected that there has been an enormous drop as a consequence of both the Foot and Mouth outbreak and the unprecedented events of September 11. These two events, combined with an economic slump across Ireland and Europe in general, lead many to believe that tourist numbers have declined even further.
Angling tourism to the Irish economy was valued at Euro84.7m for the 1996 season, when tourist numbers stood at 170,000. For subsequent years, there is an expected drop in that figure. While this represents a very significant loss of income to the Irish economy as a whole, it is in small vulnerable rural communities, dependant on the 'ripple effect' of money that comes from the angling tourism industry, where the losses are felt most.
Alan Broderick, chairperson of the Irish Pike Society and owner of Irish Angling Safaris at Crookedwood, Mullingar, expressed his anger at the permit which he feels will damage the tourist industry to the region, as numbers of anglers coming here are already falling. "As of January 1st this year Irish Angling Safaris are not getting any business, because of this new fee - people just won't pay it. A lot of guesthouses will also feel the pinch; a lot of small garages that would be selling fuel for the hire of the boats, you will find that pubs will lose out, hotels, the multiplier-effect that affects small rural economy will grind to a halt in the angling tourism sector because of anglers staying away from Ireland."

That Permit
While tempers about the state of our fishing industry are already running high, the implementation of a 35Euro annual fishing permit on January 1st by the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board (ShRFB) has simply infuriated coarse anglers who have, until now, never had to pay to fish on the ShRFB's 27 managed fisheries.
The row, which many feel echoes the quarrels of the rod licence over a decade ago, has resulted in pike angling groups initiating a boycott of the waterways.
The new permit covers all trout, coarse and pike fishing on the 27 waterways. Some of the most notable waters are the Rivers Inny, Brosna and Suck and all their lakes and tributaries, including Loughs Owel, Ennell, Sheelin and Derravaragh. Apart from the annual permit, various other permits are available for purchase, including a 1 day permit, a 21-day permit, and special prices for juveniles and the elderly.
Pike anglers in particular are simply outraged by the Board's decision, because of the twenty seven waterways, pike fishing is only permitted on twelve, while game fishing is available on 26.
However, their boycott action has been dismissed by the Fisheries Board, stated that the choice is down to the individual angler, and if they feel they do not want to fish in the managed waters, that is their decision.
Deputy manager of the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board, Mr Niall Collins, spoke to the Examiner recently and dismissed the anglers' remarks, highlighting how the 35Euro annual permit works out at just 9.5cent a day.
Mr Collins also added that the reason they are implementing the permit is, in fact, for equity.
"It is on the the grounds of equity that we are asking anglers to pay the permit," he stated, adding that trout anglers have been made pay a permit for several years now.
Mr Collins claimed that the Board had given a year's notice on the implementation of the permit and there had been plenty of consultation between the board and the various fishing groups.
The decision however, has angered anglers in the region who feel they are being targeted, claiming that the rest of the country can effectively fish for free.What has also aggravated people is that areas of the Shannon itself, such as Lough Ree, are not affected by the permit and coarse fishing remains free. Mr Collins said however state owned fisheries such as the Moy, Galway fishery and Ashford Castle are other waterways where charges are in place. However, it is believed that the ShRFB are the only regional board with a permit in place on its waterways.
Pike angling groups such as the Irish Pike Society and the Federation for Irish Pike Angling Clubs claimed that they had no problem with the permit itself, but opposed Mr Collins view that it wsa implemented for fairness, stating that their problem was the 'inequity' in it, that the board are gill netting the very species that pike anglers fish for.
Mr Collins reinforced his comments using the example of fishing on the river Suck. "If there are two anglers fishing on the river, one purporting to fish for pike and the other purporting to fish for trout, how can it be fair to ask one to pay a permit and the other not to?" In response to the claims that tourism will suffer as a result of the permit, Mr Collins dismissed the claim as "a load of rubbish".
The Deputy Manager brushed off the idea that a 21 day permit which costs Euro18 will stop a tourist coming to fish in the region. "I doubt that the difference of Euro18 will stop anglers coming to Ireland somehow," he stated. Areas which are not affected by the new permit are Delvin, Killucan, Kinnegad, Rochfortbridge and Tyrrellspass where lakes and rivers drain into the Boyne.

Gill Netting
The matter of gill netting on the ShRFB waterways is hugely controversial and complicated.
The Pike anglers' main dispute lies in the continued removal and culling of pike on Lough Owel, Lough Ennell and in particular on Lough Sheelin.
Gill netting is undertaken by the Shannon Board as a 'predator control programme' as a management tool of trout waterways.
Netting occurs on lakes such as Sheelin and other brown trout lakes, where predatory fish, such as pike, are tracked and netted before being removed to other pike waterways such as the River Suck.
Pike anglers are extremely upset about this programme, with some pike angling groups stating they had received reports from some clubs having photographed dead and dying pike in gill nets. The Shannon Board has said it had not received any reports of dead pike, adding that any damaged fish from gill netting is 'minimal'.
The pike anglers views are, obviously, not agreed upon by all anglers and of course the Board, with many also feeling that the netting is needed to control trout stocks.
There are only twelve wild brown trout fisheries left in Europe, with Lough Owel, Ennell and Sheelin included in this. However, many have claimed that Lough Sheelin is gone, and Lough Ennell is suffering because of jet skis and power boats.
The Board has claimed that "the Predator Control Programme is to maintain the few brown trout lakes left", and this year the programme will be implemented on six trout fisheries in the region over coming months.
With the situation in a current stalemate between the Shannon Board and Pike anglers, the boycott looks set to continue. However, the general consensus is that a compromise has to be reached. While trout anglers feel their resource is also suffering, one angler, who wished to remain unnamed, said that they would prefer if pike could be transferred, as if they are removed, there is a greater headage of trout.
The controversy of the predator control programme at Lough Sheelin was also brought to the attention of North Westmeath TD, Deputy Donie Cassidy, who received a deputation from a number of concerned Finea residents. The concerned residents highlighted how six guest houses/hotels closed in recent years around the lake and many more to suffer because of the drop in numbers of coarse anglers coming to the area. The news of the permit has also outraged Deputy Cassidy who will be raising the matter in the Dail on Wednesday evening with the Minister of the Marine and Natural Resources, Dermot Ahern T.D. Speaking to the Examiner this week, Deputy Cassidy expressed his anger and highlighted the ridicule in anglers from Finea being charged 35Euro to fish, while if they drive just up the road into Cavan they can fish for free. "We want the Shannon Fisheries Board to ensure that they will continue to enhance our county as a tourist area. Investment is very important and I feel we should have a substantial amount of the Board's allocation to be promoted as "The Lake County'," Deputy Cassidy said.

Expo
The Irish Angling Expo took place on the weekend of February 22nd and 23rd, and the Irish Pike Society campaigned for the weekend against the recently implemented permit. A petition that was placed at the Expo gathered over 1000 signatures, and many stopped to read the many signs, notices and placards around the stand, which highlighted the problems facing anglers in the ShRFB region.
A video of the damage the anglers claimed gill netting can do on lakes was also shown at the stand. Dozens stood around watching the video which showed how the nets caught not just pike, but all the other coarse fish and the very species the board is trying to protect - trout.
"The theme of this year's campaign is the opposition to the 35Euro permit," said Irish Pike Society Press Officer Pat Byrne. "The permit has resulted in a boycott by anglers and other tourist operators, be it tackle dealers, guide services and accomodation. They are on their knees as it is and boycotting this year is not going to make much of a difference to them. The final nail was the Foot and Mouth Disease because it stopped the tourists coming, and they then realised that they could go other places," Mr Byrne stated.
He highlighted how in Sweden, anglers can get a cottage by a lake, including boat hire on prolific waters where an average catch is of about 20 fish for just 400Euro per week.
"There is just huge decreases in fish stocks" Mr Byrne stated, adding that he blamed pollution and gill netting.
"Pollution would be the main problem. But we can over come this problem by educating the polluters. We can stop gill netting overnight by administerial order."
His partner at the Irish Pike Society stand, Mr Broderick, spoke also about the permit and criticised the timing of its implementation. "Our businesses has been decimated because of this new fee that has been brought in."
"There was no consultation process by the Shannon Board with us, there was no consultation process with any of the tourist providers. They just unilaterally decided that to fund their stocking of trout of at Lough Sheelin, they need extra money and the way to do this is attack coarse and pike anglers who don't kill their catch, have had no works done on their lakes and rivers of any great note to protect and conserve our fish stocks, so the angler gets nothing out of it.
Mr Broderick added how specialist travel agencies in Holland and Britain have told him that clients will not pay the Û35 to come over when the fishing is already in decline in Ireland.
"Why would they pay an extra 35Euro suddenly when they fishing is going downhill? It's like getting sand thrown in your face every year, and now this year they want you to pay 35Euro to get the sand thrown in your face. And we wont do it," Mr Broderick adamantly stated.

Ripple Effect
The decline in our angling tourism sector has, as earlier highlighted, a ripple effect, causing other businesses to suffer.
One business which caters for the angling community here in Mullingar and surrounding areas is O'Malley Fishing Tackle in Dominick Street.
The business has been established 46 years and is run now by David O'Malley.
Speaking to Mr O'Malley this week, he told the Examiner how he has noticed a definite drop in the number of tourists coming to the county to fish and has noticed an effect on his business as a result of it.
"It is a very complicated issue. Numbers have definitely dropped in the past three years or so," Mr OÕMalley said.
He also highlighted how fish stocks in our lakes have also declined rapidly.
"It's all down to a lack of funding," he said, adding that he believed that it was a Government problem.
"Pollution is a big issue also. Pollution is a greater threat than the permit," Mr O'Malley stated in relation to the angling sector.
He spoke about the water quality on our lakes, referring to the outbreak of cryptosporidium on Lough Owel last year.
He argued that there was a general problem of disease, using the examples of the problem with tapeworm and memotodes on some of our lakes. "The fish should be inoculated," he stated.
The three major things he would like to see being done in the county are, (a) for Lough Owel to be stocked with rainbow trout, which would see 200 tourists a week come to the area to fish and boost our local economy by 4millionEuro per annum (b) Westmeath County Council should tackle the pollution problem at our lakes and (c) the Board should undertake enhancement work on streams at Lough Ennell.

The conclusion?
There is no one single issue which is causing the anglin industry, one of our greatest assets to decline so rapidly. Pointing the finger of blame at one person is not possible either - our fishery boards are obviously not in receipt of enough funding; our pollution problem is not a natural phenomenon; declining fish stocks are affecting our tourist numbers - and these problems are not going away.
It seems to be a case of one step at a time on the various issues, but at present the angling sector is standing still, while the local and national economies continue to suffer and pollution threatens our waterways.
While education will solve the pollution problem, the stand-off between the anglers and the Fisheries Board sees no resolution yet. What may need to be remembered however, is that all these groups are part of the one sector - a sector that will only work if everyone works together. The angling tourism sector in Westmeath and within the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board is undoubtedly suffering and is on a downward spiral... whether that can be halted and ultimately and reversed, only time will tell.

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