Great Western Lakes public consultation gets underway in Mayo

Plan covers seven lakes, including Lough Carra, Lough Conn and Lough Cullin in Mayo

A PUBLIC consultation on the long-term management of the Great Western Lakes got underway earlier this month and Inland Fisheries Ireland is urging the Mayo public, especially the angling community and anyone who uses the lakes, or lives near them, to make a submission.

Inland Fisheries Ireland is the state agency responsible for the protection, conservation and management of the inland fisheries resource and it has developed a draft plan for the long-term management of seven lakes.

Covering Lough Carra, Lough Conn and Lough Cullin (in Mayo), Lough Corrib and Lough Mask (in Galway and Mayo), Lough Arrow (in Sligo and Roscommon) and Lough Sheelin (in Cavan, Meath and Westmeath), the draft plan aims to address some of the many factors that impact on the ecological wellbeing and status of native fish stocks.

The lakes have long-been designated, as a matter of policy, to be managed primarily as wild brown trout waters. Therefore, the proposed management programmes for these lakes, as set out in the draft plan, will protect, conserve and, where possible, enhance the lakes’ natural attributes and native biodiversity.

In turn, this would optimise the lakes’ potential as sustainable wild brown trout fisheries and, in some cases, Atlantic salmon fisheries. Other species such as eels, Artic char and Ferox trout are also reflected in the draft plan.

Speaking at the start of the public consultation process, Francis O’Donnell, CEO with Inland Fisheries Ireland urged the public to participate by reading the draft plan and making a submission.

He said: “It’s clear to see that all seven lakes share a series of pressures which are impacting on their ecosystem stability and native fish stocks. These include declining water quality, fisheries habitat loss, invasive species and the detrimental effects of climate change.

“These issues will be tackled through the various measures proposed in this draft plan. That is why the public consultation process is such an incredibly important step, as it gives the Mayo public the perfect opportunity to have their say.”

The draft plan is available from the Inland Fisheries Ireland website at www.fisheriesireland.ie/westernlakesplan or by visiting Inland Fisheries Ireland’s offices in Galway, Ballina, Sheelin or Limerick. The deadline for making a submission is 5 p.m. on Tuesday, September 20, and those wishing to make a submission are being encouraged to use the online questionnaire which will guide them through the headings of the plan. Unfortunately, any submissions received after the deadline has passed cannot be considered.

During the consultation period, open evenings will take place in Mayo where members of the public can drop in and meet an Inland Fisheries Ireland representative, discuss the draft plan, seek clarification or ask questions.

The open evenings are taking place at the Great National Hotel, Ballina, on Thursday, August 25, and at Partry Community Centre on Tuesday, September 6. All open evenings run from 4 to 8 p.m. and no tickets or advance registration is required.

O’Donnell added: “We are urging anyone in Mayo with an interest in the Great Western Lakes, especially anglers, other users of the lakes or those that live nearby to have their say by making a written submission online before the September 20 deadline. Only written submissions, submitted to the consultation via the form, email or to the consultation address will be considered.”