-
Newsletter Number 45 -every fish counts
Dear Supporter, Our latest Salmon Watch Ireland Newsletter is now available. In this edition, we update you on our appeal against the renewal of the Deenish Island salmon farm licence, remind anglers of mandatory catch and release from 1 September following a particularly difficult summer for salmon, provide an update on the Munster Blackwater genetic study, and remind everyone to remain vigilant and report pollution through our Pollution Reporting Portal. We also ask you to save the date – Saturday, 14 November 2026 – for the Salmon Watch Ireland Conference in Athlone. Thank you, as always, for your continued interest and support for the conservation of Ireland's wild Atlantic salmon. Newsletter Number 45- Salmon Watch Ireland Aug 30
Continue reading -
Newsletter Number 44 – Section 19 A4 to be repealed
Our latest Salmon Watch Ireland newsletter marks an important development in a campaign we began six years ago. In 2020, Salmon Watch Ireland made a formal complaint to the European Commission concerning Ireland's aquaculture licensing system and the continued operation of aquaculture facilities after their licences had expired under Section 19A. The Government has now published the Draft General Scheme of the Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2026, which proposes the repeal of Section 19A(4). This is an important achievement and a significant outcome from the European process which followed our complaint. However, as our newsletter explains, repeal is only part of the story. The proposed legislation would introduce a new system of temporary licence extensions, and we believe important safeguards are still required. In Newsletter 44, we examine the new proposals and explain why previous production performance, mortalities, disease, sea lice, escapes and licence breaches must be considered before further operation is permitted. We also address the need for public scrutiny, meaningful environmental assessment, effective appeals, stronger enforcement and financial bonds to ensure operators—not the taxpayer—carry responsibility for environmental liabilities. We also reiterate our fundamental policy position: open-cage finfish farming is environmentally unsustainable and Ireland should begin a planned transition to land-based closed containment. After six years of pursuing this issue, the proposed repeal of Section 19A(4) demonstrates that persistent engagement with Irish and European institutions can produce meaningful change. But the work is not finished. We will continue to engage as the legislation progresses to ensure that what replaces Section 19A(4) provides genuine protection for wild Atlantic salmon, sea trout and the wider aquatic environment. We hope you will take the time to read Newsletter 44 – Six Years of Persistence: Salmon Watch Ireland's Section 19A Campaign Reaches a Critical Point. Newsletter Number 44 - Section 19 Repeal
Continue reading -
Newsletter Number 42 – Temperature Protocol / Information Commissioner / Joint Oireactas
This edition focuses on a number of important developments affecting wild Atlantic salmon and sea trout, including Inland Fisheries Ireland's new scientific guidance on managing fisheries during periods of high water temperature and the increasing challenges posed by climate change. We also provide an update on our recent engagement with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs and the Joint Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy where we highlighted concerns regarding exceptionally high mortality rates in Ireland's salmon farming industry and the need for greater transparency. Finally, we report on our successful appeal to the Office of the Information Commissioner, which resulted in the release of previously withheld salmon farm mortality, stocking and harvest data. We outline the significance of this decision and the further steps Salmon Watch Ireland has taken to improve transparency and public participation in aquaculture licensing. As always, thank you for your continued support. Working together, we can continue to advocate for evidence-based policies that protect and restore Ireland's wild Atlantic salmon and sea trout.
Continue reading -
NASCO Conference 2026 – Aviemore, Scotland
This year's meeting took place against a backdrop of continuing declines in wild Atlantic salmon populations across much of the North Atlantic. Governments, Indigenous Peoples' representatives, NGOs, scientists, and fisheries managers gathered to review the latest scientific advice, assess conservation progress, and consider the actions needed to reverse these troubling trends. The newsletter highlights several significant developments from the meeting, including: The introduction of Conservation Commitment Reports (CCRs) and NASCO's new accountability framework; Adoption of new habitat protection, restoration, and improvement guidance; Continued concerns regarding climate change and declining salmon abundance; The ongoing impacts of aquaculture on wild salmon populations; Growing recognition of marine mortality and fisheries bycatch as major conservation challenges; The failure of the West Greenland Commission to agree a new regulatory measure for the 2026 fishery; and The priorities and concerns raised by accredited NGOs during the meeting. While important progress was made, particularly in habitat restoration and conservation planning, the meeting also underscored the urgency of the challenges facing wild Atlantic salmon. The discussions reinforced the need for stronger international cooperation, greater ambition in conservation actions, and increased attention to the pressures salmon face throughout their marine migration. We hope this newsletter provides a useful overview of the meeting and contributes to ongoing discussions about the future of wild Atlantic salmon conservation. As always, we welcome your feedback and look forward to continuing to work together to secure a future for this iconic species across the North Atlantic. Newsletter Number 39 - Salmon Watch Ireland NASCO Conference Scotland June 26
Continue reading -
Joint Oireachtas Committee – Salmon Conservation – Newsletter Number 37
Across all submissions to the Committee, one message is clear: Atlantic salmon are in crisis. Despite some gaps in the data, the overall trend is unmistakable—stocks are in sustained decline. Now is the time to act decisively to halt and reverse that decline. In this newsletter, we outline the key evidence presented, reflect on the discussion at Committee level, and set out why current pressures on salmon—both in freshwater and at sea—require a far more precautionary and coordinated response. We also highlight a number of critical concerns, including: The continued exploitation of vulnerable stocks in certain river systems The need for a precautionary approach where even moderate surpluses are protected The importance of stronger alignment between policy and scientific advice The role all stakeholders, including recreational fishers, must play in conservation Alongside the newsletter, we have submitted a number of supporting materials, including our opening statement, a policy document, and additional evidence presented to the Committee. Links to video recordings of the session are also available. A full transcript will be shared once published. This is a pivotal moment. The decisions taken now will determine whether wild Atlantic salmon recover—or continue their path toward collapse. We encourage you to read and share the newsletter, and to continue supporting efforts to protect and restore this iconic species. Thank you for your continued support. Salmon Watch Ireland Newsletter Number 37
Continue reading -
Newsletter Number 36 – 10 April- Response to New Salmon Regulations
Please find the response of Salmon Watch Ireland to salmon regulations as signed into law in early April. Some positives but overall a disappointing outcome with little concrete advances to protect wild salmon. We ask that all anglers abide by the code of conduct as laid out in the newsletter. We hope for a better outcome for salmon into the future. While the weather presently is not conducive to angling, it is certainly a help in protecting adults returning and smolts will have an abundance of water to safely avoid serious predation pressures. Hopefully these conditions prevail until May. Newsletter Number 36 10 April 2026
Continue reading -
Pelagic Fisheries and Salmon
We are pleased to share Newsletter 32 (19 February 2026) from Salmon Watch Ireland, focusing on emerging evidence of Atlantic salmon bycatch in pelagic fisheries of the Nordic Seas. This edition highlights: Documented salmon catches during the International Ecosystem Summer Survey in the Nordic Seas (IESSNS), including 126 salmon recorded in 2025 surface trawls. Growing international policy attention, with Atlantic salmon formally added to the ICES list of species of bycatch relevance. The westward expansion of mackerel fisheries since 2005–2007 and the implications for salmon during critical marine feeding migrations. Concerns regarding the blue whiting fishery around the Faroe Islands during the March–April period. Reflections on improved salmon size and returns in 2020 during reduced pelagic fishing effort, and what this may (and may not) indicate. The evidence demonstrates clear spatial overlap between offshore pelagic fisheries and salmon during key marine phases. While comprehensive North Atlantic bycatch estimates remain unavailable, systematic reporting is now being formalised — an important step forward. Our policy position is straightforward: improved monitoring, mandatory and standardised reporting, genetic identification of any salmon caught, and greater integration of ecosystem and fisheries data are essential to ensure pelagic fisheries do not contribute avoidable additional mortality to vulnerable salmon stocks. Our aim remains unchanged: to keep all interested parties informed so that responsible, evidence-based conservation can take place. This is a space for constructive contribution and shared understanding. Above all, our collective objective is clear — more salmon reaching their spawning grounds, not fewer. Thank you for your continued support. Newsletter Number 32 - Feb 20 2026
Continue reading -
A changing ecosystem – The decline of Atlantic salmon
In this issue, we introduce recent peer-reviewed scientific research that provides important insight into the continuing decline of Atlantic salmon at sea. While much attention has focused on rivers, the evidence increasingly shows that the greatest losses are occurring in the marine environment — particularly in the critical early weeks after young salmon enter the ocean. Three recent studies point to a major ecosystem shift in the Northeast Atlantic around 2005, with long-term declines in plankton productivity and marine energy availability. The findings suggest that reduced food availability — rather than simple temperature “shock” — is now a key driver of lower growth and survival. The implications are significant. If marine productivity remains depressed, recovery to historic salmon abundance will be extremely difficult without addressing every avoidable human pressure, both at sea and in coastal waters. This newsletter summarises the headline findings and provides links to the three scientific papers. We hope you find it informative and, as always, we welcome your feedback and continued support. Newsletter Number 31 - 10 Feb 2026
Continue reading -
Newsletter Number 30 – 07Feb 2025
Salmon Watch Ireland response to updated draft tagging regulations Salmon Watch Ireland acknowledges that the updated draft Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations 2026 include measures that continue to provide important protection for spring salmon, particularly through the retention of strict controls outside the main summer harvest period. The organisation recognises the importance of safeguarding early running fish, which remain under pressure in many river systems. However, Salmon Watch Ireland is concerned by several elements of the revised draft, particularly where changes represent a reduction in precaution compared with the previous draft regulations. 2026
Continue reading -
Newsletter Number 27 – 16 December 2025 Salmon Watch Ireland
We are writing to share our latest newsletter, which focuses on the urgent need to curtail salmon exploitation and the importance of the tagging measures announced by Inland Fisheries Ireland. The newsletter outlines the biological necessity of maximising the number of salmon reaching the spawning grounds in light of the continued and severe decline in salmon stocks. It highlights why maintaining adequate spawning escapement is fundamental to stock recovery, genetic integrity, and long-term resilience, and why precautionary management measures are essential at this time. We also emphasise that exploitation controls alone are not sufficient. A proactive and coordinated response is required both nationally and internationally to address the many pressures affecting salmon throughout their life cycle. We therefore ask all stakeholders to support the exploitation and tagging measures introduced by Inland Fisheries Ireland as part of a wider effort to safeguard this species. We would like to thank all those who continue to engage constructively and support these necessary actions. Your cooperation is vital to ensuring that enough spawners remain to protect and restore Atlantic salmon populations for the future.
Continue reading