Shannon Regional Fisheries Board reply to IFPAC on 20th February 2004, Re: Coarse Angling Permit and the Use of Gill Nets

20th February 2004

Dear Mr. Crudden,

The Board considered your correspondence regarding the Pike Angling Permit and the use of Gill Nets and were somewhat perplexed as all of the issues raised were dealt with in great detail at a meeting with your Federation in October 2003 and the Boards position has not changed.

Indeed. I understand that a report of this meeting was carried on your Federation's website. (see attached)

As you are aware 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 advise, 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 and refine this programme where resources allow and we will continue to do so. However the conservation of the wild brown trout fisheries will remain a priority.

The Board reviewed its Predator Control Programme, as it does with all its programes, 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.

The Board rejects your comments relating to the use of Gill Nets as they are clearly targeted at Pike and are supervised on a daily basis.

The Board is aware of its Health and Safety requirements and seeks to adhere to them at all times, however, this does not exempt the public who use our fisheries from their own duty of care when operating boats on the lakes.

The Permit fee charged by the Board on its waters, for trout and coarse fish angling, will continue. The income generated in 2003 by the Permit has increased by 35% over the previous years and this additional revenue will greatly assist the work of the Board in Conserving and Developing its Fisheries.

As previously stated, the Board will utilise the funds generated by the Coarse angling element of the Permit on coarse fish projects in 2004 and as stated at our meeting, the Board would welcome your Federations suggestions on suitable projects.

The Board believes that while we note each others positions on Predator Control there are many more issues which need to be addressed to ensure the Conservation and Development of Pike and Pike Angling. The Board would welcome the Federations support in this area, bearing in mind that there are hundreds of miles of river and hundreds of acres of lakes which are unaffected by our Wild Brown Trout Programme and in which large Pike are under pressure from pollution, over-fishing by anglers etc.

Pike Angling in the Shannon Region remains good for small to medium Pike, while in most areas large Pike are under pressure, although large Pike are still available (see attached).

The Board is concerned at the declining Pike numbers both large and small in the main Shannon while other coarse fish stocks remain good, as shown in a survey carried out by the Board with the assistance of CFB in 2003. The reason for this are unclear. Perhaps pollution and the changing environment or angling pressure, although your Federation figures on Pike angling numbers would suggest that very few people are now fishing for Pike. The Board hopes to study this further during 2004 and the Board welcomes any assistance the Federation can provide in this matter.

Yours sincerely.

Eamon Cusack
Chief Executive Officer

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