Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 December 2025
180. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether Lough Corrib anglers can be prosecuted for removing invasive pink salmon (oncorhynchus gorbuscha) without gill tagging from the lake in 2026, considering that no blue gill tags will be distributed with the 2026 Galway district salmon licence under current draft proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68973/25]
View answerThere is no requirement under the proposed Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations for anglers or commercial fishers to tag or report the capture of Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha). Accordingly, the removal of such fish without tagging would not give rise to an offence under those Regulations.
The policy of the Department, and the position of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), is that pink salmon are an invasive alien species. Anglers, fishers and members of the public are therefore requested to retain any pink salmon encountered and present these fish to IFI for scientific analysis.
