Article in "Westmeath Examiner", dated 19th April 2003

"Pike association to continue fight against Shannon Board permit "
By Sharon Newman

One of the country's largest angling associations has vowed to continue its fight against the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board and the €35 annual coarse fishing permit that was implemented at the start of the year, the Examiner has learned this week.

The Irish Federation of Pike Angling Clubs, (IFPAC), whose members have been boycotting all of the Shannon Board's 27 managed waterways since the permit's introduction, have now stepped up their action in opposition to the permit and are planning to extensively distribute flyers which highlight a number of 'reasons' as to why the IFPAC are objecting to the permit.

The flyer, which also shows pictures of damage caused to pike, roach and trout by gill netting, claims that the €35 permit may actually help fund gill netting.

The message, according to the federation is that "This year the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board have introduced a coarse fishing permit on a wide range of waters in the Midlands. The IFPAC objected to this permit on a number of grounds, which include:

We are expected to pay €35 to fish waters where our fees may be used to fund gill netting and killing of the very fish we want to catch;

Angling tourist visitor numbers have plummeted from 170,000 in 1996 to 89,000 in 2000;

We believe that this extra cost on visiting anglers may lead to a further decrease in visitors; Some of the Shannon Board's 'managed waters' where pike and coarse fish are killed hold huge numbers of specimen and record coarse fish. An example would be the specimen and record roach of 5lbs 4oz netted and killed on Lough Ennell in 2002. There should be a cessation of the removal of these valuable fish and these waters should be developed to their best potential in the local and national interest."

The flyer also calls for support in securing "a fair deal for coarse and pike anglers.. and in bringing about a change in the Shannon Regional Fishery policy."

It also calls for the continuation of the boycott of the managed waters and asks those who feel strongly about the issue to write to members of the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board and public representatives to inform them of their views on the coarse fishing permit.

"We want some recognition that this permit will affect us and the tourist industry," Mr David Hamill, environment officer with the IFPAC told the Examiner this week. "This is only part of the planned campaign which will take place over a long period of time," Mr Hamill also warned, whose role in the IFPAC involves an overview on matters that affect pike angling.

EU Water Framework Directive
Meanwhile, in what appears to be good news for the angling and tourist industries, the EU Water Framework Directive, which was adopted in December 2000, is finally making some progress, with negotiations ongoing at the moment between the Department of the Environment and Local Government and the country's local authorities to establish river basin management projects. These projects will aim to address water management in all inland and coastal waters, including ground waters, and all sources of water pollution. For the most part, our county's waterways drain into the river Shannon, and a project in relation to the Shannon River basin began in January this year.

According to David Hamill, the directive is a direct response to a decline in water quality and wetland ecosystems throughout Europe. By 2015, the directive aims to achieve 'good water status' for all waters.

At this stage, the directive is asking members of the public to participate in an ongoing consultation process during the production, reviewing and updating of river basin management plans before their formal adoption. The Heritage Council has produced a consultative document with responses due before June 1st. Following this, a discussion seminar will be arranged with respondents invited to give their views. Anyone interested should visit the Heritage Council's website, at www.heritagecouncil.ie

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