The presentation by Inland Fisheries Ireland demonstrates the stock levels as they exist today. Unfortunately there has been a steady decline in stocks post 2007 as indicated by the counter network across the country. It is not a very encouraging situation and is compounded by many factors both in-stream, near coastal and oceanic influences. With Ireland’s  human population growing aligned with increases in livestock farming and associated habitat compromise we are now really seeing a situation whereby the salmon population may be at risk through our anthropogenic influences. With the proposed expansion of aquaculture our salmon stocks are certainly at a highly increased risk.

One aspect of the presentation showed that we as a nation are still not releasing salmon to the degree of other close at hand countries and our catch and release figures indicate that less than 40% of fish are released. An interesting statistic is that the average MSW salmon catch is now averaging out at 15% of total catch.
One slight ray of hope is that the counter figures for 2016 and 2017 demonstrate an upward trend which hopefully might herald a somewhat more positive future.Inland Fisheries Ireland: State of Irish Salmon Stocks