From the M&CGC course

1. Mark.H.V.Corps
IFI Angling Advisor
Marine & Countryside Guiding
FETAC Level 6

2. Wild salmon management
in Ireland

4. • Irish wild salmon are part of the national
identity
• Traditionally Ireland has been one of the
largest producers of salmon in the North
Atlantic
• Ireland traditionally operated a commercial
offshore fishery, estuarine draft net fishery &
river angling

7. • Due to declining stocks since 1996 progressive
series of conservation initiatives introduced
• ICES Advisory Committee on Fishery
Management advised Southern European
1SW & MSW stocks are considered at risk
• 2002 Ireland introduced an annual quota for
angling & commercial salmon of 219,000
salmon

8. • Reduced progressively to 62,000 in 2007
• 2007 to align with ICES & NASCO, Irish
Government closed mixed stock fisheries
• Harvest fisheries only allowed were stocks
have a surplus over the Conservation Limit
(CL)
• Estuarine Fisheries only permitted provided
stocks from individual rivers entering the
estuary meet the CL

10. Conservation Limit (CL)
• For a river is the number of spawning
salmon required to produce the next
generation
• Developed using a range of scientific indices
including
1. analysis of salmon fry (juvenile abundance index)
through catchment wide electro fishing undertaken
on selected rivers
2. rod catch
3. smolt count
4. redd count index &
5. fish counter data

11. Example – R. Barrow juvenile salmon
stock assessment
• A catchment wide electro fishing survey
(CWEF) of juvenile salmon abundance was
undertaken during 2011 (4th yr of the survey)
• 79 sites were included. In 2011the mean catch
was 24.75 salmon fry (a high abundance level),
an increase on previous years. Mean catch
over the four yrs was 15.35 fry

12. • An average of 15.35 fry over 4 yrs is below the
threshold level of 17 salmon fry. The Barrow
remains closed for 2012 but the survey will
again take place in 2012
• Catchments where the average threshold
level of 17 fry is exceeded have been opened
for C&R angling

13. • 2007 a hardship scheme for drift net
fishermen was introduced providing a
financial package for affected fishermen
• 2008 allowable harvest increased to 86,000
salmon including both commercial & angling
harvest - distributed on an individual river
basis
• Salmon are now managed on an individual
river basis

14. • Rivers with identifiable surplus above the CL
are open for salmon / sea trout fishing
• Rivers meeting in excess of 65% of the CL are
granted ‘C&R’ status
• Rivers with insufficient scientific information /
rod catch of <10 salmon closed
• Goal to encourage recovery of stocks in rivers
not meeting CL & manage rivers in
compliance with the Habitats Directive

15. • With decreasing marine survival challenge is
to improve stocks in rivers through habitat
improvements & other initiatives

18. Wild Salmon & Sea Trout
Tagging Scheme
• Aim to provide a means of collecting accurate
catch statistics & estimates of salmon /sea
trout stock exploitation
• Develop management strategies & ensure
species are exploited in a manner consistent
with long-term sustainability on a national,
regional, fishery district & river basis

19. • Scheme commenced for both commercial &
recreational salmon fishing licence holders 1st
Jan ’01
• Followed by introduction of Total Allowable
Catches (TAC) for the commercial salmon
fishing sector & bag limits for recreational
anglers in 2002
• Since 2007, following consultation with IFI &
the Standing Scientific Committee, Minister
sets the TAC on an annual basis for each river
exceeding the CL

20. Management of the Wild Salmon
Fishery in 2012
• Salmon Standing Scientific Committee of IFI
assessed 141 rivers
• 43 rivers are open (surplus fish identified over
& above the CL in these rivers) - 7 less than in
2011
• 34 open rivers on a ‘C&R’ basis - 6 more than
in 2011
• 64 closed rivers - 63 in 2011

22. Recreational Angling
• Annual bag limit of 10 fish per angler of
salmon or sea trout (> 40cm)
• 1 salmon or sea trout (> 40cm) per day until
May 11th with a max of 3 fish for this period
• 3 salmon or sea trout (> 40cm) per day from
May 12th until end of August
• 1 salmon or sea trout (> 40cm) per day 1st
September to the end of the season

23. • After the daily bag limit has been caught
anglers are permitted to fish C&R, using
single barbless hooks (no worms)

24. Questions?

25. Some questions from me!
1. What is a Conservation limit?
2. How is it drawn up?
3. What % of the CL does a river have to
achieve to be C&R?
4. Annual bag limit for salmon is?
5. If you have caught your daily bag limit
– how should you fish on?