SHRFB Coarse Angling Permit - Media Transcript

FOLLOWING IS A TRANSCRIPT OF EXTRACT FROM :

SHANNONSIDE NORTHERN SOUND RADIO
DATE & TIME 18.04.03 - 8.15 A.M.
SUBJECT COARSE ANGLING PERMIT

Interview by Fran Mc Nulty


The Pike anglers Federation have commenced a boycott on any fisheries, which are subject to a new coarse angling rod fee. The fee was introduced several months ago subject to much controversy. Now the Regional Fisheries Board say they must leave the fee in place and also must manage lakes such as Sheelin as trout fisheries. The anglers disagree and that's where the trouble starts.


FRAN MC NULTY (SHANNONSIDE REPORTER)

Eamon Cusack is the Chief Executive of the Regional Fisheries Board. He sees the fee is needed.


EAMON CUSACK (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, SHANNON REGIONAL FISHERIES BOARD)

The Board eh... obviously is of the view that a permit charge is necessary eh... within the region to generate funds for the conservation and development of fisheries and that eh... process is going ahead without eh... too much difficulty. Eh... with regard to the Federation and their pike campaign the... the Federation as we understand it disagree with the policy of the Fishery Board in removing pike from eh trout... brown trout lakes and eh... the Board has explained on numerous occasions the reason for this and eh... which is based on scientific eh... information and is in an effort to benefit eh... trout angling. Now within the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board we have thousands of lakes and only on a small handful eh... four or five do we carry out eh... the removal of pike and indeed the removal of pike on Lough Sheelin seems to be the issue, which the Federation has as issue with so far.


FRAN MC NULTY

Why do you think they're so concerned about that Eamon?


EAMON CUSACK

Eh... they believe that eh... all pike should be left unharmed in the waters however eh... this doesn't bare out eh... in fact the Shannon region has over fifty percent of the specimen pike that were caught eh... in this country last year were caught in the Shannon region so we have a very good pike stock eh... and a very good stock of large pike. We eh... also carry out eh... a lot of enforcement work in relation to the removal of all fish illegally from em... the catchment and we're working on that. The issue at the moment seems to be that the Federation are jumping on the issue of the introduction of coarse fish permits for pike or for permits for coarse fishing within certain waters, a small number of waters within the Shannon region and we understand from some Federation members that they don't have an objection in principal to the fact that anglers eh... should pay for a portion towards the conservation and development of fish and indeed some of them have already bought permits. So the issue of permits and pike isn't really an issue the real issue here is the Federations disagreement with the Board on its policy over pike removal in Lough Sheelin.


FRAN MC NULTY

In relation to that Eamon have there been any instances where the Board have confronted these anglers attempting to document the activities, which the Board are undertaking?


EAMON CUSACK

No the Board hasn't interfered with the Federation or the pike Society in their collection of information eh... with regard to what our activities are. Our activities as a public eh... servant obviously our activities are quite open and plain for anybody to see.
However we've had eh... a number of instances on Lough Sheelin in particular although it has occurred on one or two other lakes where our eh... nets have been interfered with and in actual fact a large number of nets have been stolen over the last number of weeks and we've had... obviously we've had to take measures to ensure that eh... this interference eh... that the perpetrators of these actions are caught and brought to justice because apart from everything else it is eh... an illegal act to use nets on lakes or to steal from... from anybody.


FRAN MC NULTY

Of what nature where those measures Eamon?


EAMON CUSACK

Well obviously we have our own security people and eh... we use them to eh... try and apprehend anybody eh... who is interfering with our nets now the only activities that we have engaged in, in recent times on Lough Sheelin in relation to are in relation to enforcement.

End of Interview

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