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Newsletter 2025 – Salmon Watch Ireland
Please find a PDF copy SWIRL NEWSLETTER 12025 of the newsletter as published today. We anticipate that you may find it of interest. In this issue we among other subjects examine the effect of hydro schemes and the various turbines associated with the many hydro systems around Ireland. It is a subject that we all should be informed about and vigilant about, as there is a renewed interest in the construction of facilities which will impact on salmonid mortality and production. We have also put together a video highlighting the demise of the iconic sea trout in Waterville and ask the simple question as to why. This video was co-produced with Currane fisheries, and we appreciate their support. With the ongoing transition to closed containment and closure of open cage salmon farms in British Columbia and Washington state and the apparent improvement in wild salmon numbers there, it is essential, that we progress in eliminating open cage farming and shift the dialogue towards closed containment or indeed complete closure if the industry does not facilitate this. Essentially we are approaching a period whereby open cage salmon farming may be about to expand and it is probably one of the last opportunities that we have to shape policy to protect wild salmonids and we need your support and ongoing efforts to steer our campaigns into the future. We hope you will find the content interesting. Please distribute as widely as possible.
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Ballisodare Report – Inland Fisheries Ireland
Salmon Watch Ireland welcomes the publishing of the report concerning the large scale mortality event on the Ballisodare River in June and July this year. While the report does not specifically identify a cause of the mortalities, it does outline a number of factors which may have impacted the adult salmon population. It is encouraging to see that mortalities have not occurred since higher water on the river became established on the 20th July. The issues surrounding fish passage do require attention and it is hoped that a practical approach to the issue can be put in place. It must always be remembered that this river without the fish passes at the lower falls and at Colooney would not be a salmon river as salmon could not pass the natural barriers at these locations until the passes were constructed. We would suggest that at all times the salmon are prioritised through a regime of facilitating free passage. To this end we suggest that IFI should examine the feasibility of mitigating further natural barriers upstream of the lower falls. In the interim we do see the benefit of managing access until a resolution can be found to alleviate stress factors above the lower falls. IFI Report
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Fish Counter Report 2023- Significant decline noted in grilse and late summer salmon
There would appear to be a significant downturn in 1SW salmon in 2023. This is very much in line with angling and commercial catches in 2023 and is in line with majority of countries in NE Atlantic which saw a substantial decline across all regions. The indicators would suggest that this year has seen a significant upturn on last years grilse run but spring salmon in 2024 is suggestive of poor survival of the same smolt cohort which supplied last years grilse. As this downturn is widespread it suggests a large downturn of conditions at sea. The report can be read here: IFI Fish Counter 2023
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Atlantic salmon – Coming home earlier, smaller and in a compressed time period
The annual EPA conference took place in June 2024 in Galway. Summarising 70 years of research in the Burishoole Catchment, Elvira De Eyto outlined in a very concise and illuminating video presentation how climate data and water quality have changed within this index catchment over 70 years. Our interest is primarily the data surrounding Atlantic salmon and the presentation demonstrated that wild Atlantic salmon are returning earlier, returning at a smaller size and during a more concentrated time period. Survival from ova to smolt appears relatively stable with less than 1% survival but survival at sea has declined alarmingly. One interesting note is that since the closure of the drift net fishery there has been no increase in survival at sea indicating a substantial decline since 2007. The catchment continues to be below its conservation limit thus compromising the output of smolts from the catchment. The video is well worth watching and given its long term data is essential to our understanding of Atlantic salmon. Burishoole Video There are other video which you may find interesting and these can be viewed here. EPA Conference 2024
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Ballisodare Atlantic Salmon Mortalities
With a large number of mortalities and an ongoing investigation by IFI and the Marine Institute it would suffice to say that to lose up to 900 adult salmon is a tragic outcome for this river. We await the outcome of the investigation but we are aware that it appears that the losses are primarily adult salmon. This may be related to oxygen demand as the river appears to be low over a prolonged period. Larger fish require higher levels of oxygen and large quantities in a relatively small area of a river can trigger stress and lead to secondary infections. Higher water may alleviate this but weakened fish may not survive even if distributed further upstream. There appears to be a rise in water over the past number of days and we will see if this alleviates the situation. While there are reports of a large run through the counter it is apparent that the loss of adult salmon at this scale can have consequences for spawning numbers and that other adult salmon may have a compromised survival chance through stress related secondary infections. We would certainly support an engineering solution to natural barriers if these are deemed to be partly responsible for the mortalities.
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Please Help Atlantic Salmon in 2024
This year we have seen a continuation of poor returns to Irish rivers. There may be many factors involved in this situation but it is evident that we collectively need to secure as many large spawning fish as possible to bolster compromised spawning escapement. To help in this matter Salmon Watch Ireland is asking all angling stakeholders to minimise their impact on remaining stocks. The angling stakeholders have a choice and can limit their catch. The over generous national limit of an individual harvesting ten salmon should be substantially reduced this year by the voluntary actions of the angling community. We would ask that angling is carried out with a view to releasing fish by using appropriate methods. We also request that salmon of over 65cm be released and no fish should be harvested in September. The choice to do this is voluntary and we will be asking that these over generous rules involving individual harvest by anglers to be substantially reduced going forward. While we have requested that commercial fisheries should be closed going forward and a appropriate scheme to alleviate hardship on fishermen be introduced, we are going to canvass the commercial sector through Inland Fisheries Ireland this year to reduce their effort and limit their uptake of quota. We will request that if fish counter results show a substantial decline on normal (poor) returns by mid July, Inland Fisheries Ireland and Department of Environment , Climate and Communications should consider that exploitation be further controlled by regulation. In the interim it would greatly help the situation if all stakeholders cooperated in this voluntary effort to protect what remains. We in Salmon Watch Ireland are conscious that salmon are under enormous pressure in all countries and we would hope that in future there may be an improvement in stocks which would allow a sustainable harvest by stakeholders but this present situation is alarming given the widespread and accelerating decline. Please limit your catch
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Kenmare Bay – Disregard for Special Area of Conservation
Kenmare Bay is located in the South West of Ireland and is home to two currently operating salmon farms (Deenish and Inishfarnard) owned and operated by MOWI. There are two other farms within the bay which are not currently operating with a further application pending for another site near Inishfarnard. The farm at Deenish was ordered to close in April 2019 but has continued to operate pending the outcome of an appeal which has yet to be determined. This situation is appalling considering that five years have elapsed without any sign of determination. The farm has been allowed to continue to the detriment of the once famous sea trout fishery in Waterville. This fishery had the potential to generate up to three million euro for the local economy but is essentially now derelict with little if any angling tourism in the area. Make no mistake this fishery can be returned to a vibrant fishery with economic prosperity returning if salmon farming is removed from Kenmare Bay. No sea trout fishery has ever survived along side open pen salmon farming and Waterville is no exception. This situation is completely mirrored in the west of Ireland, Scotland and Norway. It is worth noting that when the farms in Kenmare Bay were closed in the period from 2004 to 2009 there was a substantial increase in sea trout numbers and a rebalancing of the population through all age groups. Waterville is home to genetically distinct sea trout and are a national asset which has been effectively destroyed by salmon farming. In 2023 MOWI applied for a renewal of their expired licences for Deenish and Inishfarnard and this is under examination by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine and is awaited with interest by all. There were a significant number of objections to these applications so we await determination but we expect this may take some time if previous experience is anything to go on. We would like to draw your attention to our submissions regarding the renewal applications and feel free to extract information to bolster your understanding of the issues surrounding salmon farming in Ireland. Inishfarnard Submission Deenish Submission
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NASCO Conference, Westport, County Mayo 2024
The annual North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO) conference was held in Westport County Mayo from June 3rd to 7th . The NASCO conference is dominated by the government parties with limited but important input to discussions by the NGO'S. Ireland is well represented by our NGOs (including SWIRL) and our viewpoint on management of the resource is primarily focussed on conservation. There was a general consensus among all parties that Atlantic salmon have reached a point whereby their very existence may be compromised and that they certainly face extirpation in many rivers. In the face of those threats NASCO adopted a new strategy and an action programme with the goal to ‘prioritise and drive actions necessary to slow the decline of wild Atlantic salmon populations and demonstrate that restoration is possible’ (https://nasco.int/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CNL2413_The-Future-of-NASCO-%E2%80%93-a-Ten-Year-Draft-Strategy.pdf). While accepting that salmon abundance may not be achievable in short term or indeed medium term, it is incumbent that we should concentrate on maximising the production of wild healthy juveniles and maximise the spawning potential of all catchments. Among the other major issues addressed by the conference were: The threat posed by pink salmon to wild Atlantic salmon (https://nasco.int/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/CNL2421_Report-of-the-Meeting-of-the-Working-Group-on-Pink-Salmon.pdf): New guidelines on stocking which again emphasise the need confine restocking to the very limited situations where extirpation is threatened (https://nasco.int/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CNL2410_Report-of-the-Meeting-of-the-Stocking-Guidelines-Working-Group.pdf). All of the conference material is available at following link https://nasco.int/annual-meeting/forty-first-annual-meeting-2024/ To help in this matter Salmon Watch Ireland is asking all angling stakeholders to minimise their impact on remaining stocks. The angling stakeholders have a choice and can limit their catch. The over generous national limit of harvesting ten salmon should be substantially reduced this year by the voluntary actions of the angling community. We would ask that angling is carried out with a view to releasing fish by using appropriate methods. We also request that salmon of over 65cm be released and no fish should be harvested in September. The choice to do this is voluntary and we will be asking that these over generous rules involving individual harvest by anglers to be substantially reduced going forward. While we have requested that commercial fisheries should be closed going forward we are going to canvass the commercial sector this year to reduce their effort and limit their uptake of quota.
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Request for Atlantic salmon conservation initiatives in month of September
Salmon Watch Ireland is asking the angling community to help preserve Atlantic salmon stocks by returning all salmon during the month of September. The background to this request is that the Atlantic salmon has faced a devastating downward spiral over the last number of decades but the past number of years have demonstrated an accelerated decline. While Salmon Watch Ireland has consistently supported the scientific process involved in managing Ireland's salmon stocks on an individual catchment basis, it is time to consider whether exploitation can continue in September this year, given the perilously poor catches experienced in Ireland and indeed throughout UK and further afield. While forecasting returns of salmon can be difficult there must always be scope to manage stocks on a real time basis and accordingly we will be suggesting major changes to the present way harvesting of salmon is managed. The advice for 2023 from the Technical Expert Group on Salmon in regard to rivers where surpluses were forecast, appears not to have materialised, and thus we as a conservation body are strongly advising the angling community to think of the next generations of salmon and return fish on a voluntary basis during September. These fish in September are more readily caught by rod and line as they exhibit heightened aggression so releasing fish is your way of demonstrating that you are playing your part in support of wild salmon. While we cannot influence individual attitudes it is hoped that such an initiative may help to get more salmon spawning this coming winter. The following graphs are taken from TEGOS advice and illustrate that 2022 was the lowest count of grilse on record which will almost certainly be much lower in 2023. The spring was exceptionally poor in 2023 which demonstrates an apparent link to survival at sea during the salmon's first year at sea.
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AGM Remarks by Chair John Murphy
Remarks by John Murphy, chair of the board of Salmon Watch Ireland CLG, to the company’s annual general meeting on Monday 19th June 2023. Welcome to Salmon Watch Ireland’s AGM for 2022 being conducted by Zoom. This meeting is primarily held to conform with our obligations under the Companies Act. 2022 was a year primarily dominated by our impending Judicial Review on the decision to award an aquaculture licence to MOWI in Bantry Bay. Having taken the decision to enter into this legal process it was necessary to devote a considerable amount of time to research our main avenues of approach to the legal process. I would like to thank all our directors and indeed our members and supporters who helped to prepare and support us both financially and with advice which enabled us to pursue this case. The Judicial Review took place over four weeks in April /May 2023, and we expect an outcome in the near future. The 2022 salmon run in Ireland was extremely poor with regard to grilse, but spring salmon runs appeared to be on an upward turn although from a low stock level. The low level of grilse last year did manifest as a very poor reported spring salmon stock this year with anecdotal evidence suggesting a collapse in the majority of fisheries both here and the United Kingdom. Generally speaking, this may be related to the abnormally low river levels which greeted the adult stocks here and UK in 2018. This was also mentioned by the ICES working group on North Atlantic salmon and seems to be a recurring theme with the summer of 2022 experiencing very low water levels. Again, there is no need to mention this year as the trend continues. On a more positive note, the early spring this year did favour a more positive environment for smolt migration. These fish are the progeny of the 2020 run of adults which showed a very welcome upturn in stocks. The IFI fish counter data is indicative of an increased run of spring fish in 2022 but a large decline in grilse stocks and is probably at an all-time low when looked at over an extended period. It is evident that climate is causing a very poor environment for Atlantic salmon and these periods of low flow in conjunction with high water temperatures cause a cascade of effects with predation and biological factors having a significant negative effect on juvenile and adult survival. In conjunction with the pressures at sea it is evident that the future is far from secure. While most of these factors may be out of our control, we must continue to endeavour to maximise the amount of wild healthy smolts going to sea. It is interesting to note that a recent study in the UK noted that larger smolts survived to return at three times the rate of smaller smolts. Again, with a warming climate, can we expect larger wild smolts, I would suggest not. The publication of the state of Irish waters by the EPA for 2022 notes little improvement in regard to nitrate levels in Irelands rivers and lakes and is a major concern for salmon survival. It is evident that the farming community are engaged in a political agenda with little concern for climate or indeed the wider environment. Unfortunately, the vote on the recent legislative change at EU level in regard to protecting degraded land was postponed for one month which is disappointing but demonstrates that there is a considerable opposition to protecting nature which is all too evident within this country. With changing weather patterns, we are seeing a very substantial reduction in rainfall during critical periods for salmonid migration which only exacerbates an already precarious situation. In early 2022 we sought through FOI correspondence between Minister Eamon Ryan and Minister Charlie Mc Conalogue regarding sea lice and their impact on wild salmonids. This was further illuminated by the Irish Times in August and a special segment on Prime Time followed in October. It is very significant in that a government department was willing to take on DAFM regarding their rather benign interpretation of the impact that salmon farming has on wild salmonid stocks. IFI were very robust on the Prime-Time program which is a welcome departure from previous pronouncements on the subject. This was further demonstrated with their participation in the Judicial Review. There appears to be a more proactive approach from IFI and there is further evidence that they are ramping up pressure with the recent job advertisement looking for a project manager to investigate nationwide introgression from farm escapees. These developments may have a bearing on future JR procedures. Mark Boyden from the Coomhola Salmon Trust was the recipient of our Salmon Hero Award in 2022. Mark has been at the forefront of educating Irelands school children on salmon matters for the best part of 30 years. He was most appreciative of our efforts to conserve Atlantic salmon. We did not hold a conference in 2022 but hope to hold one in 2023. Our focus has somewhat been overwhelmed by the judicial review process but we would hope to concentrate more on other issues going forward. The issue of commercial exploitation of salmon is causing a serious amount of controversy and our policy to effectively finish this practice must be revitalised. It is not an attempt to change the location where salmon are harvested as we also would like to limit exploitation by recreational anglers. The ability to harvest ten salmon by anglers is certainly not sustainable from a moral point of view and should be reduced significantly. It would be our intention to seek a redesign of the management of our salmon stocks with a review of conservation limits and surplus determination. It may be time now to increase the statistical probability of 75% of reaching a conservation limit to a higher number thus taking a more precautionary approach in these volatile times for salmon survival. On the aquaculture front we will continue to oppose open cage farming and intend to design a template for publication which will allow all to oppose licences in a concerted, legal and scientific manner. With stocks in such a precarious situation it may be time to examine rebuilding strategies. It is obvious that certain rivers have radically insufficient stocks to repopulate rivers. In these rivers we must use the best available strategies to rebuild stocks ENDS:
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