Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 9 September 2024
110. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason there is such a long delay in revoking Bye-Law No. C.S.336, 2024, that closed the Ballisodare, County Sligo catchment including all lakes for angling (details supplied); if he will immediately expedite this issue and allow anglers access to this fantastic resource; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34832/24]
View answerI introduced an Emergency Bye-Law on 17th July which ceased all angling activity in the waters of the Ballysadare River system in the No. 12 Sligo District with immediate effect. The Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout Ballysadare (Closed Rivers) Bye No. C.S. 336, 2024 was enacted as a precautionary measure against any potential spread of disease that could occur in the absence of information on the nature of the fish kill in the catchment.
In August 2024, I accepted the advice of the Technical Expert Group on Salmon (TEGOS), which advises on the harvest quotas to be set for each of the salmon rivers in Ireland, and IFI, who recommended that as a precautionary measure, the Ballysadare River should be reopened on a catch and release basis only for the remainder of the season to single barbless hooks to minimise inadvertent catch and release mortalities for salmon in the system.
As a result of this advice on the 21st August, I introduced the Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout Ballysadare (Catch and Release) Bye-law No. 1012, 2024. This Byelaw has revoked the Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout Ballysadare (Closed Rivers) Bye-Law C.S. 336 of 2024, while also removing the harvest quota for the remainder of the season making the Ballysadare river catch and release only, with angling limited to single barbless hooks to conserve the number of salmon currently in the Ballysadare river system.
