Views of Mayo public sought on ways to improve fish tagging scheme
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), the state agency with responsibility for the protection and conservation of freshwater fish and habitats, has launched an important public consultation on the future management of the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme.
The state agency is encouraging anyone in Mayo with an interest in the area to submit their views on how the tagging system, which started in 2001, can be improved and modernised. It is especially keen to hear from salmon and sea trout anglers in the region, angling clubs, commercial fishermen and those businesses that distribute salmon and sea trout licences, such as fishing tackle shops.
The Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme was set up 20 years ago to record the issuing of wild salmon and sea trout licences, gill tags and logbooks to both recreational anglers and commercial fishermen, and to process details of fish catches on a database for further analysis.
It was part of a series of measures introduced to help with the management and conservation of Ireland’s wild salmon and sea trout populations, which have been in decline.
Figures from the 2020 Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Statistics Report show that 14,138 salmon and sea trout licences were sold to recreational anglers in the state last year, which were a mixture of virtual licences sold online and hard copy licences sold over the counter in shops. In addition, 78 public commercial licences were made available to commercial fishermen in 2020.
IFI is now carrying out a review of the whole tagging system to see how it can be made more user-friendly in the future and to ensure that it can provide the agency with real-time, accurate data to assist with the protection, management and conservation of wild salmon and sea trout.
The head of business development with IFI, Suzanne Campion, said: “The Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme was first introduced two decades ago and since then, we’ve seen a seismic shift towards buying and selling online, with many technological advances along the way that we’d like to harness.
“As we’re undertaking a review of the tagging system, we see this as the perfect opportunity for the public, especially those involved in the angling sector in Mayo, to have their say on the management of how licences, tags and logbooks are issued and distributed in the future. In other words, how can IFI make the tagging system as user-friendly as possible in the future and a better service for all?”
Public consultation for the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme closes at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, December 1, and members of the public are invited to make submissions by completing a short survey online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BradanConsultation. Alternatively, written submissions can be emailed to bradanconsultation@fisheriesireland.ie or posted to Inland Fisheries Ireland’s head office address in Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24.