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Newsletter Re: Exploitation – Number 24
We are pleased to announce the release of our latest Wild Salmon Conservation Newsletter, which presents the initial key themes, priorities, and actions identified through public feedback on how best to manage exploitation and implement effective policies to increase wild smolt production and improve adult salmon returns. The newsletter highlights the issues that matter most to […]
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Conference Proceedings – Salmon Watch Ireland, Athlone 11 October 2025
This special conference edition — “Protecting Wild Salmon: Science, Stewardship, and Accountability” — captures the key discussions and outcomes from our 2025 Athlone Conference. Inside you’ll find: Science and Survival: Dr. Elvira de Eyto on seven decades of data from Burrishoole, and Dr. Paddy Gargan confirming the clear link between sea lice and salmon mortality. Grassroots Action: Maura Brennan’s […]
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Deenish Island – ALAB Determination – Letter to Minister Heydon DAFM
Dear Minister Heyden, On behalf of Salmon Watch Ireland, I write to express our profound concern at the recent determination of the Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board (ALAB). The decision, in our considered view, undermines the protection of Ireland’s wild Atlantic salmon and sea trout and fails to uphold the standards required under Irish and European […]
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Newsletter – Number 21-Blackwater Report
Today we’re sharing Salmon Watch Ireland’s Blackwater Report (Sept 2025). It summarises the Inter-Agency investigation into the August fish mortalities on the Munster Blackwater and sets out what must happen next. While we appreciate the efforts of all agencies and stakeholders it is none the less alarming that no definitive cause was identified. Whether this was […]
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Salmon – Are Mackerel an Issue
Introduction Since the mid-2000s, Northeast Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) have undergone a major northward and westward expansion, with large feeding migrations into Faroese, Icelandic, and Greenlandic waters. This shift has reshaped fisheries and sparked disputes among coastal states, but it may also have important ecosystem consequences — particularly for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), whose marine […]
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Fish Counter Report and Update Blackwater
This issue contains a brief outline of the fish counter report for 2024 issued by Inland Fisheries Ireland as well as an update on Blackwater fish kill. We have strongly suggested that certain issues come to the forefront in regard to WWTP and Industrial discharges in all catchments and that climate resilience should be built […]
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Unprecedented Fish Kill – Munster Blackwater
The recent fish kill on the Munster Blackwater highlights just how fragile the habitats of salmon and trout truly are. These weakened ecosystems are highly vulnerable, and without decisive action, further incidents are inevitable. Although the exact cause has not yet been identified, the deteriorating condition of many rivers—particularly in regions of intensive agriculture and, […]
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Munster Blackwater – Fish Kill
Press Release Salmon Watch Ireland Expresses Deep Concern Over Major Fish Kill on the River Blackwater Salmon Watch Ireland is alarmed at the scale and extent of the recent fish kill on the River Blackwater. This tragic event highlights the ongoing pressures on the catchment, which continues to suffer from excessive nutrient inputs linked to […]
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Launch of Salmon Watch Ireland’s 2025 Policy Statement – A Call to Protect Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Salmon
We are pleased to share with you Saving the Irish Salmon – Policy Statement 2025, Salmon Watch Ireland’s updated and comprehensive plan to safeguard one of our nation’s most iconic species. This revised policy builds on our original 2019 proposals and reflects the urgent challenges now facing wild Atlantic salmon. Numbers have fallen by approximately […]
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