#Angling - The Irish Times' angling correspondent Derek Evans welcomes the start of the salmon angling season tomorrow with a look at regulation changes for 2013.
Among them he notes that the number of open fisheries has risen to 55, while 59 rivers - five fewer than last year - will be closed, which marks some progress in Inland Fisheries Ireland's (IFI) efforts to ensure sustainability of Ireland's freshwater fish stocks.
Meanwhile, the catch and release programme has been modified to encompass the River Liffey from Islandbridge to Leixlip Dam for the first time, although at 32 the scheme includes two fewer rivers than last year.
"Catch and release will maintain, among other things, club membership interest and ensure a good footfall on the riverbank," writes Evans.
"Provided catch and release protocols are practised correctly, research has shown that the survival rate can be close to 100 per cent."
The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.
