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2010 Loughs Agency of the Foyle Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission Report Ref: LA/WFDFISHROI/10 Loughs Agency Water Framework Directive Fish in Rivers Report
2010
Loughs Agency of the Foyle
Carlingford and Irish Lights
Commission
Report Ref: LA/WFDFISHROI/10
Loughs Agency Water Framework Directive Fish in Rivers Report
Loughs Agency of the Foyle Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission
2
Loughs Agency Water Framework Directive Fish In Rivers Report 2010
For Inland Fisheries Ireland
2011
For further information contact:
Art Niven (Fisheries Research Officer)
Loughs Agency
22, Victoria Road
Londonderry
BT47 2AB
028 71 34 21 00
art.niven@loughs‐agency.org
Written and prepared by:
Art Niven
Maps Prepared By Rico Santiago
Loughs Agency of the Foyle Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................. 5
1.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 6
Figure 1. WFD river fish surveillance monitoring stations within the Loughs Agency jurisdiction (Foyle area only, there are no WFD river fish surveillance stations within the ROI component of the Carlingford area). ...................................................................................................................... 6
2.0 Basis for Loughs Agency Water Framework Directive Fish Monitoring ...................................... 7
Table 1. Habitat classification based on Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland (Fisheries Division) advisory leaflet on the evaluation of habitat for salmon and trout ................ 8
3.0 Classifications .............................................................................................................................. 9
Table 2. Removal sampling results .................................................................................................. 9
Fig 2. Total catch ............................................................................................................................. 9
Fig 3. Density/m² ............................................................................................................................. 9
Fig 4. Length weight relationship of all age classes of trout (this can be used to visually assess the presence of different age classes/cohorts) ............................................................................ 10
Fig 5. Length frequency distribution for all trout caught (this can also be used to assess the presence of different age classes/cohorts) ................................................................................... 10
Table 3. Removal sampling results ................................................................................................ 12
Fig 7. Total catch ........................................................................................................................... 12
Fig 8. Density/m² ........................................................................................................................... 12
Fig 9. Length weight relationship of all age classes of salmon (this can be used to visually assess the presence of different age classes/cohorts) ............................................................................ 13
Fig 10. Length weight relationship of all age classes of trout ....................................................... 13
Fig 11. Length frequency distribution for all juvenile salmon caught (this can also be used to assess the presence of different age classes/cohorts) ................................................................. 14
Fig 12. Length frequency distribution for all trout caught ............................................................ 14
Fig 13. 01S020200 ......................................................................................................................... 15
Table 4. Removal sampling results ................................................................................................ 16
Fig 14. Total catch ......................................................................................................................... 16
Fig 15. Density/m² ......................................................................................................................... 16
Fig 16. Length weight relationship of all age classes of trout (this can be used to visually assess the presence of different age classes/cohorts) ............................................................................ 17
Fig 17. Length frequency distribution for all juvenile trout caught (this can also be used to assess the presence of different age classes/cohorts) ............................................................................ 17
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4.0 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 19
Table 5. WFD fish surveillance stations surveyed by the Loughs Agency 2008‐2010 .................. 19
Fig 19. WFD Fish surveillance river and lake sites within the Foyle area, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland ........................................................................................................................ 21
Fig 20. WFD Fish surveillance river and lake sites within the Carlingford area, Northern Ireland. There are no sites within ROI in the Carlingford area .................................................................. 22
Fig 21. WFD Fish surveillance river and lake sites within the Carlingford area, Northern Ireland. There are no sites within ROI in the Carlingford area .................................................................. 23
Fig 22. WFD fish surveillance river classifications within the Carlingford area, Northern Ireland 2010. There were no sites surveyed within ROI. .......................................................................... 24
Fig 23. WFD fish surveillance river classifications within the Foyle and Carlingford areas 2010. 25
The Loughs Agency sponsoring departments and staff are gratefully acknowledged for the assistance provided to conduct Water Framework Directive fish monitoring in the Foyle and Carlingford areas.
Loughs Agency of the Foyle Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission
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Executive Summary Eight Water Framework Directive fish surveillance monitoring stations were surveyed within the Loughs Agency jurisdiction in 2010. Three of these were in the Republic of Ireland and five were in Northern Ireland. This report presents the results for the monitoring stations within the Republic of Ireland.
An overview of the Loughs Agency Water Framework Directive fish monitoring programme is provided and a synopsis of the biological and habitat data presented. Additional data and information has been presented in a series of excel spreadsheets submitted to Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI). All data reported is stored within the Loughs Agency Geographical Information System (GIS) and is available upon request.
Photographs of each site have been included where available and outline recommendations made for consideration as part of any programme of measures.
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1.0 Introduction
This report is submitted to Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) by way of fulfilling the Loughs Agency agreement to survey and provide data for Water Framework Directive river fish monitoring. The report provides summary data for monitoring stations within the Loughs Agency jurisdictions of the Foyle and Carlingford areas for 2010. Additional information has been provided in electronic format.
A synopsis of targeted Water Framework Directive river fish sampling within the Foyle and Carlingford areas has been provided below for fieldwork conducted in 2010.
Other sites outside of the Foyle and Carlingford areas have been monitored by Inland Fisheries Ireland.
Figure 1. WFD river fish surveillance monitoring stations within the Loughs Agency jurisdiction (Foyle area only, there are no WFD river fish surveillance stations within the ROI component of the Carlingford area).
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2.0 Basis for Loughs Agency Water Framework Directive Fish Monitoring
In the absence of a finalised fish in rivers classification tool (currently under development) no classification has been assigned to the fish surveillance monitoring stations included in this report. The Northern Ireland Water Framework Directive Fish Group which consists of members from Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), Agri Food and Bioscience Institute (AFBI), Department of Culture Arts and Leisure (DCAL) and the Loughs Agency has assigned provisional classifications for sites within Northern Ireland based on professional assessment of the data collected. Once available the new fish classification system will be used to derive WFD compliant classifications.
Data collection was conducted in the field during July 2010 and involved the use of a quantitative electrofishing methodology commonly used for wadable rivers. This technique requires the netting off of a small section of river approximately 100m² using stop nets.
Removal sampling is then conducted utilising electrofishing equipment with the numbers, age class and species of each fish being recorded for each pass. After an appropriate depletion has been achieved, which facilitates a density estimation to be made all fish are returned alive to the river.
Additional habitat variables were recorded and the exact location of upstream and downstream stop nets were recorded using a Trimble Geo HX hand held GPS unit.
Additional in-channel habitat variables were recorded using the DANI habitat classification system outlined.
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NURSERY AREA
Grade 1 • 50 -80mm water depth • 0.5 – 8% gradient • Stable cobble/boulder
substrate > or = 70% bed cover
• Providing adequate cover Grade 2 Marginally outside grade 1 on one
count only
Grade 3 Well outside grade 1 on one or more counts
Grade 4 Absent, deep, channelized, silty etc.
SPAWNING AREA
Grade 1 • Flow 300 – 600mm/sec • Water depth 150 – 700mm • 70% substrate 30-80mm
diameter • Gravel depth:
Trout = 50-150mm
Salmon = 200-500mm
Grades 2-4 Failing as for nursery habitat above
HOLDING AREA
Grade 1 • Depth minimum m ideally > or = 2m
• Suitable cover • Bankside/substrate stability
Grades 2-4 Failing as for nursery habitat above
Table 1. Habitat classification based on Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland (Fisheries Division) advisory leaflet on the evaluation of habitat for salmon and trout
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3.0 Results 3.1 01M010100 Mournebeg at Red Burn Bridge Derg Catchment Co Donegal
FISHING Trout 0+ Trout 1+ Eel Total 1st 11 10 1 222nd 5 3 4 12TOTAL 16 13 5 34Table 2. Removal sampling results
Fig 2. Total catch
Fig 3. Density/m²
16
13
5
024681012141618
Trout 0+ Trout 1+ Eel
Num
ber o
f Fish
Species
Number of Fish Caught, Mournebeg 2010
0.01
0.06
0.04
0.10
0.00
0.02
0.04
0.06
0.08
0.10
0.12
Eel Trout 0+ Trout 1+ Total Trout
No. of Fish/1m
²
Fish Species
Density Estimate of Fish Species, Mournebeg
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Fig 4. Length weight relationship of all age classes of trout (this can be used to visually assess the presence of different age classes/cohorts)
Fig 5. Length frequency distribution for all trout caught (this can also be used to assess the presence of different age classes/cohorts)
y = 3E‐05x2.7488
R² = 0.9687
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
Weight (g)
Length (mm)
Length Weight Relationship Trout 0+ and 1+ Mournebeg (N=29)
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
51 56 61 66 71 76 81 86 91 96 101
106
111
116
121
126
131
136
141
146
151
156
161
166
171
176
Freq
uency
Length (mm)
Length Frequency Trout 0+ and 1+Mournebeg (N=29)
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This site is composed predominantly of grade 3 nursery habitat (50%) with grade 3 spawning habitat (10%) and grade 1 holding habitat 40%. Additional biological data and habitat data is available in the spreadsheets provided.
This site is located on a tributary to Lough Mourne, which in turn feeds into the Mournebeg River, a tributary of the River Derg. A “V” notch weir is currently present on the Mournebeg River near Lough Mourne and may act as a barrier to certain migratory fish entering Lough Mourne and its tributaries/feeder streams. Donegal County Council has received planning permission to impound Lough Mourne to increase water abstraction. This development will increase the area of Lough Mourne and drown out the lower reaches of any feeder streams. A large impounding structure will be constructed at the outflow to Lough Mourne (Mournebeg River). Migratory fish passage suitable for eels and salmonids has been incorporated into the design.
Fig 6. 01M010100
Loughs Agency of the Foyle Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission
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3.1 01SO20200 U/S of Finn River Confluence 01M010100 Finn Catchment Co Donegal
FISHING Salmon 0+ Salmon 1+ Trout 0+ Trout 1+ Eel Total 1st 18 7 0 2 2 292nd 8 5 1 0 0 143rd 6 4 1 0 0 11TOTAL 32 16 2 2 2 54Table 3. Removal sampling results
Fig 7. Total catch
Fig 8. Density/m²
32
16
2 2 2
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Salmon 0+ Salmon 1+ Trout 0+ Trout 1+ Eel
No. of Fish
Species
Number of Fish Caught, Stranagoppoge 2010
0.02
0.38
0.28
0.62
0.02 0.020.06
0.68
0.00
0.10
0.20
0.30
0.40
0.50
0.60
0.70
0.80
Eel Salmon 0+ Salmon 1+ Total Salmon
Trout 0+ Trout 1+ Total Trout Total Salmonids
No. of fish/m
2
Species
Density Estimate of Fish Species, Stranagoppoge
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Fig 9. Length weight relationship of all age classes of salmon (this can be used to visually assess the presence of different age classes/cohorts)
Fig 10. Length weight relationship of all age classes of trout
y = 7E‐06x3.1307
R² = 0.977
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Weight (g)
Length (mm)
Length Weight Relationship of Salmon 0+ and Salmon 1+, Stranagoppoge (N=48)
y = 2E‐05x2.9455
R² = 0.9985
0
5
10
15
20
25
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
Weight (g)
Length (mm)
Length Weight Relationship of Trout 0+ and 1+, Stranagoppoge (N=4)
Loughs Agency of the Foyle Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission
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Fig 11. Length frequency distribution for all juvenile salmon caught (this can also be used to assess the presence of different age classes/cohorts)
Fig 12. Length frequency distribution for all trout caught
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94
Freq
uency
Length (mm)
Length Frequency of Salmon 0+ & 1+, Stranagoppoge (N=48)
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
Freq
uency
Length (mm)
Length Frequency of Trout 0+ and 1+, Stranagoppoge (N=4)
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This site has been moved slightly upstream to accommodate access requirements for survey.
This site is composed predominantly of grade 3 nursery habitat (70%) with grade 3 spawning habitat (10%) and grade 3 holding habitat 20%. Additional biological data and habitat data is available in the spreadsheets provided.
This site is located within the River Finn and Tributaries SAC. The surrounding land use is dominated by upland grazing and coniferous forestry plantations. The catchment could benefit from native riparian buffer zone creation, catchment scale native planting and cleaning of spawning gravels. The catchment is also impacted upon by insensitive planning and poor riparian stewardship in places.
Fig 13. 01S020200
Loughs Agency of the Foyle Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission
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3.1 40B020400 U/S of Moville Bridge 40B020400 Bredagh Catchment Co Donegal
FISHING Trout 0+ Trout 1+ Eel Total 1st 7 70 5 822nd 2 26 2 303rd 2 13 1 16TOTAL 11 109 8 128Table 4. Removal sampling results
Fig 14. Total catch
Fig 15. Density/m²
11
109
8
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Trout 0+ Trout 1+ Eel
Num
ber o
f Fish
Species
Number of Fish Caught, Bredagh 2010
0.06 0.09
0.830.91
0.00
0.10
0.20
0.30
0.40
0.50
0.60
0.70
0.80
0.90
1.00
Eel Trout 0+ Trout 1+ Total Trout
No. of Fish/1m
²
Fish Species
Density Estimate of Fish Species, Bredagh
Loughs Agency of the Foyle Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission
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Fig 16. Length weight relationship of all age classes of trout (this can be used to visually assess the presence of different age classes/cohorts)
Fig 17. Length frequency distribution for all juvenile trout caught (this can also be used to assess the presence of different age classes/cohorts)
y = 2E‐05x2.9156
R² = 0.9743
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Weight (g)
Length (mm)
Length Weight Relationship, Trout 0+ & 1+, Bredagh (N=85)
0
1
2
3
4
5
53 63 73 83 93 103 113 123 133 143 153 163 173 183 193 203 213 223 233
Freq
uency
Length (mm)
Length Frequency Trout 0+ and 1+ Bredagh (N=85)
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This site has been moved slightly upstream to accommodate access requirements for survey.
This site is composed predominantly of grade 3 nursery habitat (30%) with grade 3 spawning habitat (10%) and grade 1 holding habitat 60%. Additional biological data and habitat data is available in the spreadsheets provided.
This site is located upstream of the town of Moville which is currently without adequate waste water treatment facilities. Untreated effluent is known to enter the Bredagh River downstream of the sampling location. This may have hampered migratory fish movements and colonisation of the lower part of the Bredagh River through Moville. Waste water treatment is the key priority for any programmes of measures. In addition to the water quality issues a number of in-channel alterations may be creating barriers/partial barriers to migration. Assessment of these structures is required. Riparian management is poor with significant tunnelling in places.
Fig 18. 40B020400
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4.0 Conclusion
In 2010 within the Loughs Agency jurisdiction in addition to the three WFD fish surveillance sites surveyed in the Republic of Ireland five WFD fish surveillance sites were surveyed in Northern Ireland. Twelve other sites were surveyed within the Loughs Agency jurisdiction using similar methods. This data has also been made available in electronic format as part of the WFD fish reporting procedure.
There are no planned WFD river fish surveys in Loughs Agency ROI jurisdiction in 2011.The majority of sites to be surveyed in 2011 are large river sites in Loughs Agency Northern Ireland jurisdiction where a multi method approach will be utilised as agreed by the Northern Ireland Water Framework Directive Fish Group.
Site Code Year Surveyed Catchment Provisional Classification
01M010100 2010 Derg (ROI) N/A 01S020200 2010 Finn (ROI) N/A 40B020400 2010 Bredagh (ROI) N/A F10086 2008 Strule (NI) Good F10089 2009 Strule (NI) Moderate F10076 2009 Owenkillew (NI) Good F10020 2009 Burndennet (NI) Good F10014 2009 Glenmornan (NI) Moderate F10626 2009 Newry (NI) Moderate F10644 2009 (AFBI) Killbroney (NI) Moderate F10077 2009 Owenkillew (NI) Good F10763 2009 Skeoge (NI) Poor F10022 2010 Burndennet (NI) Good F10049 2010 Derg (NI) Good F10079 2010 Glenelly (NI) Good F10115 2010 Camowen (NI) Good F10170 2010 Roe (NI) Good Table 5. WFD fish surveillance stations surveyed by the Loughs Agency 2008‐2010
In addition to the seventeen WFD fish monitoring stations quantitatively surveyed from 2008-2010 as outlined in the table above the Loughs Agency has conducted similar quantitative surveys at an additional 65 stations throughout the Foyle and Carlingford areas between 2005 and
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2010. The potential use of semi quantitative data collected in the Foyle and Carlingford areas at approximately 500 stations annually is currently being investigated by the Northern Ireland Water Framework Directive Fish Group for use in operational monitoring classification.
A number of lakes will be surveyed as part of WFD fish monitoring requirements in Northern Ireland. The N/S SHARE methodology will be used. In 2010 two lakes were surveyed in the Loughs Agency jurisdiction, Lough Carn in NI and Lough Mourne in the ROI. In addition to meeting requirements under WFD the Loughs Agency Corporate and Business plans 2011-2013 highlight the need to survey lake fish populations within the Foyle and Carlingford jurisdictions. Reports on these surveys will be available in 2011.
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Fig 19. WFD Fish surveillance river and lake sites within the Foyle area, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
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Fig 20. WFD Fish surveillance river and lake sites within the Carlingford area, Northern Ireland. There are no sites within ROI in the Carlingford area
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Fig 21. Provisional WFD fish surveillance river classifications within the Foyle area, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland 2010
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Fig 22. WFD fish surveillance classifications within the Carlingford area, Northern Ireland 2009‐2010. There are no sites within Carlingford area lying within ROI.
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Fig 23. Provisional WFD fish surveillance classifications within the Foyle area 2008‐2010.
