‘Alarm across angling community’: Mayo TD demands answers from IFI
Aontú TD Paul Lawless has expressed serious concern over Inland Fisheries Ireland’s (IFI) proposals for the River Moy, warning that they have “caused alarm across the angling community in north Mayo."
Speaking after attending a public meeting in Ballina last night, deputy Lawless said: “Over 150 anglers came together to express deep concern about the scale and speed of these changes, which will drastically reduce their ability to fish one of the most important salmon rivers in the world.
Ballina is globally recognised as the Salmon Capital of the World, and any restriction on angling activity will have major consequences for local livelihoods, tourism, and rural heritage.”
Deputy Lawless stressed that conservation is fundamentally important: “We all want a healthy ecosystem in the Moy where fish life and salmon stocks are plentiful. Anglers have always been the strongest advocates for sustainable fishing.
But conservation must be evidence-based and fair.” He raised concerns regarding the lack of transparency underpinning the proposals: “The Technical Expert Group (TEGOS) report, which is supposed to provide the scientific basis for these changes, has not been published.
Anglers and clubs are being asked to respond without access to the very data that should justify such decisions.” Deputy Lawless highlighted serious gaps on monitoring: “There are counters on the Moy - four in total - but they are not deployed year-round. Critically, there are no counters on the Queen’s Gap, where the majority of fish pass through.
Without comprehensive monitoring, stock assessments rely on incomplete or outdated information. IFI must develop a better, year-round monitoring system to ensure decisions are based on accurate data.”
He also warned of the economic impact of the proposed brown tag lottery system. “This system will result in an enormous loss in tourism for the entire area. Angling tourism is a cornerstone of the local economy, and these changes could devastate businesses and communities that depend on it.”
Deputy Lawless called for IFI to appear before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action to fully explain these proposals and allow proper scrutiny.
He urged IFI to publish the Technical Expert Group (TEGOS) report immediately, review the logbook system - where only 50% of logbooks are currently being returned and extend the public consultation period to allow anglers and communities time to respond properly.
He also pressed IFI to install counters at key points such as Queen’s Gap and to maintain year-round monitoring.
Finally, he called on the Minister for the Environment to work with European counterparts to crack down on overfishing at sea by international trawlers, which continues with impunity.