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Environmental Protection Agency - Water Conference Galway June 22 nd Dr Ciaran Byrne Protecting & Enhancing Irelands Fish
Environmental Protection Agency - Water Conference
Galway June 22nd Dr Ciaran Byrne
Protecting & Enhancing
Irelands Fish
Game plan !
• Inland Fisheries Ireland
• Fisheries Protection
• Enhancing Fish Populations
- National Strategy for Angling Development (NSAD)
IFI – who we are !
• Approx 310 staff
• 220 Regional & Operational Staff
• Dublin HQ & 6 Regional Offices (RBD’s)
• Large range of local bases & stores
• Principal Act governing sector
1959 (Consolidated) Fisheries Act
• Protection, management, conservation
of inland fisheries & sea angling
IFI - Key Fisheries Goals
1) To improve the protection, conservation and development of
the resource
2) To develop and improve wild fish populations
3) To increase the number of anglers
4) To generate a better return for Ireland from the inland fisheries and sea angling resources
IFI – Fisheries Protection by Numbers 2016
vehicle patrols
29,357
bicycle & quad bike
patrols 447
kayak/boat/ PWC
1,376
Total fisheries patrols
31,180
Total Patrol Man Hours 188,405
Angler Inspections 35,192
Fisheries Patrols 31,180
IFI – Fisheries Protection by Numbers 2016
PROSECUTIONS INITIATED 103
CONVICTIONS 66
FIXED CHARGED
NOTICES 160
1487
‘equipment’
seizures in
2016
CAUTIONS ISSUED 195
IFI – Fisheries Protection
IFI – Fisheries Protection
IFI – Fisheries Protection
IFI – Fisheries Protection
IFI – Fisheries Protection
IFI – Fisheries Protection
Illegal Nets Seized in 2012 – 2016
Year No. Net Length (m)
2016 301 14,700
2015 345 14,500
2014 450 24,500
2013 450 24,000
2012 397 24,500
Total 1943 102,200 (m)
Nets Seized in (2012 – 2016) No.1943, 102Km
2012 – 2016 – Approx Galway Bay Hotel to Ballina
Nets Seized in (2012 – 2016) No. 1943, 102Km
2012 – 2016 – Approx M50 Lucan to Athlone
Environmental Protection
National Total 2016
Farm Inspections 1,553
Industrial Premises 660 Wastewater & Water Treatment
Plants 1,994
Civil Eng. Works/Infrastructure 2,651
Forestry Sites 810
Wind Farms Inspected 205 General Inspections for Pollution in
Habitats 14,193
Total 22,066
Environmental Protection
• 21 Prosecutions for environmental offences
• 12 Convictions secured
• 31 Fish kills reported **
Number Probable Source
8 Agricultural practice
2 Municipal works
1 Industrial works
16 Disease / natural causes
4 Not possible to ascertain
Its only a few fish – who cares anyway !
Enhancing Fish Populations - Water Quality
• “53% of rivers, 43% of lakes, 45% of transitional waters,
93% of coastal waters and 99% of groundwater were satisfactory at good or high status”
• “Eutrophication, which is caused by nutrient enrichment,
remains the most significant issue for surface waters”
• “The two most important suspected causes of pollution in rivers are agriculture and municipal sources, accounting for 53% and 34% of cases respectively”
Source: EPA Report: Water Quality in Ireland 2010 – 2012, Published 2015
Enhancing Fish Populations - Water Quality
• “47% of rivers, 57% of lakes, 55% of transitional waters and 7% of coastal waters require improvement to satisfactory condition”
• “Anticipated increases in pressures due to human population growth and agricultural output will need to be carefully managed to build on these positive trends”
• “Fish assessments downgraded the ecological status in
18% and 27% of surveillance rivers and lakes, respectively”
Source: EPA Report: Water Quality in Ireland 2010 – 2012, Published 2015
Enhancing Fish Populations - Water Quality
• 29 of our 171 large urban areas fail to comply with the mandatory treatment standards in the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive
• Raw sewage is discharged from 43 areas
• 45 Urban Waste Water Schemes are linked with river pollution
Source: EPA Report: Urban Waste Water Treatment Report 2015
Enhancing Fish Populations - NSAD
Enhancing Fish Populations - NSAD
Source: Inland Fisheries Ireland 2015, National Strategy for Angling Development
http://www.fisheriesireland.ie/607-nationalstrategyforanglingdevelopment
Enhancing Fish Populations - NSAD
Enhancing Fish Populations - NSAD
Source: Inland Fisheries Ireland 2015, National Strategy for Angling Development
http://www.fisheriesireland.ie/607-nationalstrategyforanglingdevelopment
Action Measures
