Conservation & Development

At the 2005 AGM the topic of Catch and Release was discussed and there is now more than ever a strong will to carry on the practise.

With Dwindling Salmon numbers along the East coast of Ireland, the Association is encouraging it's members to practise Catch and Release during the 2006 Fishing Season. Reported catches of salmon in recent years on both the rivers shows a worrying trend that the salmon which have been born in the rivers Dee & Glyde are not making it back home for various reasons including pollution, natural causes and the practise of mixed stock drift net fishing along the west coast of Ireland.

We are supporting the Stop Salmon Drift Nets Now campaign to bring about an end to this practise in the hope that by removing one of the major contributors to Salmon stock decline it will save the species from extinction.

However as Anglers we must also try to do our bit and although we spend time, money and voluntary effort develop the rivers and give back far more than Drift net men ever have we would ask our members to look to the overall picture in relation to saving Salmon. Ironically it could very well be an Angler who is responsible for killing the last Salmon in Irish waters, after its journey back from the feeding grounds of Greenland and avoiding natural predators along it's path as well as drift nets only to end up caught on an Anglers Rod & Line.

More information on Catch and release can be obtained from the Central Fisheries Board