#Angling - At recent sitting of Ennis District Court, father and son Peter and James Garrihy of Ennistymon, Co Clare were successfully prosecuted and fined €750 each by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) for illegally capturing salmon on the River Inagh, near the iconic falls at Ennistymon.
In August 2013, IFI fisheries officers were carrying out night surveillance on the Inagh River when they observed the two men using a net and illegally capturing salmon.
Both pleaded guilty to the charge of possession of illegally captured salmon.
In making his judgement, Judge William Early queried the weight of the fish caught and the possible damage that was caused to the river by the removal of salmon that would have been capable of spawning that winter.
He added that it was unfortunate that the conservation measures which have been put in place to restore the river are being disregarded.
The Inagh River is currently closed to salmon angling as it is failing to meet its conservation limit. This means that there are not enough salmon returning to spawn to sustain salmon numbers required for the river.
IFI is in the process of installing a fish counter on this river to further assist in determining the return of salmon to the river.
The fisheries body's Limerick director Amanda Mooney said: “This blatant predation of salmon is unacceptable and these fish are the future to the survival of the species within these river catchments.
"Incidents of this nature are can be detrimental to the wild salmon stocks as they are under severe threat nationally and internationally with numbers declining annually.
"I would urge people not to purchase any illegally caught fish and to report any suspected illegal activity to Inland Fisheries Ireland.”
Illegal salmon fishing is an environmental crime, and IFI says it will continue its efforts to protect and conserve this valuable natural resources. Members of the public can report any illegal fishing activity on a 24-hour confidential hotline at 1890 FISH 24 (1890 347424).
