Ocean Sentry
(From leitrimobserver.ie) Ireland – Illegal angling and netting activities have been detected all across the country by the staff of the Regional Fisheries Boards on both inland and coastal waters. Protection patrols have resulted in the confiscation of 18,770 meters of illegal nets and the detection of 649 violations. More species are being targeted by illegal fishermen and anglers, including endangered and conservation species. Poachers are not only targeting salmon and sea trout but they are also taking bass, pike, eels and coarse fish.
Dr Ciaran Byrne, Chief Executive Officer of the Central Fisheries Board said “illegal fishing is no longer socially acceptable and it is a shame to see our natural heritage being destroyed by a small number of unscrupulous people.”
In recent weeks the Northern Regional Fisheries Board area Fisheries Officers have made a number of apprehensions for illegal fishing in Inver Bay and have also reported an increase in the illegal netting of salmon in a number of rivers particularly in the Donegal area.
This escalation in illegal fishing has been linked to a substantial increase in the price of wild salmon in recent years and has also been driven by the increase in unemployment due to the recent economic downturn.
