'Salmon cap' proposal will be 'demoralising' for Mayo tourist town

A proposal by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) to introduce a 'salmon cap' scheme on the River Moy has been branded one of the worst things to happen to Ballina.

Councillor John O'Hara made the comment while explaining the rationale behind a notice of motion he brought before the December meeting of Ballina Municipal District.

His motion was worded as follows: “In light of the new regulations being put in place regarding angling on the River Moy, I call on the Ballina Municipal District councillors to support retention of the current angling regulations as it has been for the last number of years.”

Councillor O'Hara added: “We have always had people coming to fish on the Moy. This will not help at all. It will ruin it. It's demoralising Ballina. It will take it back about four generations. It's the worst thing ever done.”

The IFI has proposed a brown tag scheme of the River Moy next year whereby 1,044 tags are distributed through a lottery system. Anglers who receive brown tags through the lottery should place them on a salmon as proof it was lawfully caught and may be retained for private use.

The idea behind the scheme is to conserve salmon stocks, but at a public meeting, anglers questioned the need for it and considered it would be unworkable during summer months.

Councillor Joe Faughnan, who attended the public meeting of anglers, said he supported Councillor O'Hara's motion, as did Councillor Marie Therese Duffy, who commented: “We have to protect the history of the town and people's right to go angling and fishing. It (the scheme) would be detrimental to tourism.”

Councillor Michael Loftus indicated his support for the motion too, and said the scheme would be bad for Crossmolina and Knockmore too, not just Ballina.

“It's not good enough, what they (IFI) are coming up with,” he stated. “A letter from us all (to IFI) would be important, I feel.”