Rod & Gun by Dan Kinney - FL Sat 03/03/12

[willie reynolds]

Rod & Gun (for Sat Mar 3rd)
Dan Kinney
Anglers may be out of the frying pan and into the fire

It is never wise to count your salmon before they have hatched. Just when men who had laboured heroically to improve the outlook for salmon stocks, DCAL Minister Caral Ni Chuilin dropped another time bomb into the murky waters.

Granted, it is never easy to interpret the Minister’s statements; she seems always to lean towards the pressure group which she has met most recently. Having been warned , you should read her latest statement carefully after her officials met representatives of the five commercial operators who had declined all offers of buy-outs and continued last year to fish for salmon off the Down and Antrim coasts.

In a statement this week the Minister made some very questionable assertions. She said that anglers caught as many or more fish as netsmen; that anglers would not be allowed to retain any salmon they caught in DCAL waters; that netsmen had volunteered to stop NETTING FOR THIS SEASON; that she had deferred any decision on the licensing of salmon netting to allow for further constructive discussions with the netsmen; that exploitation of salmon stocks for commercial or leisure purposes was unsustainable. Perhaps she should tell us the names of all anglers who caught several hundreds of salmon every year. Or is she just playing with words again?

This what the Minister said: “There is evidence that wild Atlantic salmon are in serious decline, and face the very real threat of extinction. We must all be focused on the need to save this iconic fish species. Therefore, I must consider any activity which kills wild salmon. This includes commercial salmon netting and recreational angling which targets the fish.

“My officials have been in dialogue with the coastal salmon netsmen. The salmon netsmen have proposed a number of measures including voluntary cessation for this season. These discussions are constructive and I have therefore deferred my decision on the licensing of commercial salmon nets until the conclusion of this dialogue. I should also emphasise that no net fishing is presently taking place – the season has not commenced. We, therefore, have a window in which to engage and conclude an agreed position with the netsmen”.

The Minister also announced a catch-and- release-only directive for those fishing in public angling estate waters. She said: “It is clear that all stakeholders must act to address this issue – and angling removes as many, if not more, fish from the water as commercial nets.

“Therefore, in relation to recreational angling, we must take the most robust measures we can within the existing legislation.”

Guidance will be issued to anglers from DCAL directing that all wild salmon caught in DCAL Public Angling Estate waters must be released. The new policy is the latest measure to conserve salmon stocks in the North. The catch-and-release rule is among the conditions anglers agree to abide by when purchasing a game angling permit.
“I reiterate that I am calling on all anglers not to target salmon. Those that do are encouraged to use methods which are less likely to harm the fish. Anglers should use fly only with single barbless hooks to facilitate return of the salmon unharmed to the water, so giving the fish a chance to spawn and rebuild the population.”

The Minister added: “As outlined previously, the weight of scientific evidence and the threat of heavy EC infraction fines means the continued exploitation of salmon – for commercial or leisure purposes – is unsustainable.

“A wider consultation on salmon conservation will begin shortly as we look at ways of tackling this issue in the long term. However, further actions will be required if salmon numbers continue to decline.

“Alongside this, officials will continue to clamp down on illegal fishing to ensure salmon have the best chance of survival.”

Anglers will be lucky if they have not sold their heritage for a mess of potage. In return for the doubtful benefit of suspending netting for a year by five operators, anglers in DCAL waters will have to return any salmon they catch. If you think that is fair and reasonable feel free to let me know by email to the address above or by letter to my home at 12 Clady Road, Cushendun, Ballymena, Co Antrim, BT 44 OHD.
With your permission I will include those letters and emails in further columns. Would it not have been wiser to limit the catches by those anglers who are allegedly doing more harm than netsmen rather than picking on those anglers who would be happy to catch and retain even one salmon a year?
Like the banking and expenses scandals, the innocents are to be asked to pay for the neglect and mismanagement of others.

Bear in mind that the drastic decline in salmon and sea trout numbers, particularly over the past six years was due mainly to mortality at sea. That is the opinion of top scientists who have been working on the problem for years. Lionel Knobbs, angling development manager of the Loughs Agency says more fish are being tagged in an attempt to find out where they go when they leave their mother rivers, what happens to them on the Atlantic feeding grounds and what dangers they meet on their way out to sea and back again.

I asked Lionel if it was known how Foyle fish came in from the Atlantic. This was important because experienced fishermen had told me long ago that fish heading to the Down, Antrim and Derry rivers came in close to the Scottish coast , carried on down to near the Isle of Man before swinging back North again. These same fishermen claimed that Foyle fish and those destined for rivers along the West and South coasts of Ireland branched off much higher out in the Atlantic before heading straight for their mother rivers.

If this was true it would mean that angling and the commercial nets off he Down, Antrim and Derry coasts would have had nothing to do with the sad decline in Foyle and Finn numbers of fish returning to spawn.

Lionel was not convinced. He said much more research was required before we had answers to the many vital questions about the welfare of fish at home and abroad.
Lionel said it would again be catch-and-release on the Foyle and Finn this season but that anglers fishing legally on the other Loughs Agency rivers would be free to retain their fish. He said it was noticeable hat last year many anglers on those rivers released fish even though they were not obliged to do so.

The Ulster Angling Federation, Robin Swan n MLA and the No to Salmon netting organisation all worked extremely hard to have the last of the commercial netting off our coasts suspended. The main point I was tying to make in last week’s article was that reluctant action by DCAL was much too little and much too late.

A small aside may illustrate the point. Fifty odd years ago my friend s Dan McCollam and Sean Mort often went out to fish from the Garron mark on a Sunday evening after a game. Rarely did we return without two or three big fertiliser bags filled with fish, mostly cod up to 28 lb. We would give them away to veteran fisherman Dixie Roy who would be waiting at Cushendall beach for our return.
How much do you think the contents of those bags would retail at at today’s prices? I reckon it would be around £2,400.

Inshore fishing was ruined by foreign trawlers. One night in Ian Mort’s boat we were nearly swamped by a big trawler ripping up everything in front of it less than 300 yards from Cushendun beach.
The activities of the foreign trawlers was reported here and elsewhere, not once but many times. What was done about it by the authorities? Absolutely nothing. Now we have trawler men fined for allegedly taking over £60 million worth of fish off the Scottish coast. I wonder if any salmon or sea tout were caught inadvertently in trawler nets.

Spanish trawlers have now turned their attention to fish stocks belonging to an African country where local people depend on the sea for survival. What will be done about that?

The fat cats have known for decades how much damage was being done to the environment and its wildlife by neglect, habitat destruction and predation by raptors and foxes. What did they do? Nothing apart from clapping their hands about how well the killers that were released with a fanfare of trumpets were doing.

The Ulster Angling Federation welcomed the heart searching by DCAL on the question of netting of salmon due to the perilous status of the salmon population. This, it said, came about as a direct result of the UAF challenge to DCAL policy at the European Union Environment Directorate in Brussels.
It said anglers have always taken the lead in salmon conservation, and recently have exerted very considerable pressure at Stormont on this issue via the No To Salmon Nets group. MLA’s Robin Swann and Danny Kinahan have also worked extremely hard, and have been instrumental in focusing pressure on the issue.

The UAF said its policy on salmon has not changed since it began its campaigns on salmon in the late 1980s. This work intensified in the early 1990s and in 1993 it set up its sister organisation, the North Atlantic Salmon Fund (NI), which led directly to the buy-outs of 225 salmon nets in Northern Ireland.
Jim Haughey, Chairman of the UAF said: ``In spite of a long series of meetings and correspondence over a number of years between us, the North Atlantic Salmon Fund (NI), and DCAL, this Department continued to license the remaining Mixed Stock Interceptory salmon Net Fishery which has been taking salmon destined for a large number of rivers in Northern Ireland that were not meeting their Conservation Limit, and also the River Finn.
``Under European law, DCAL failed to make an appropriate assessment under article 6(3) of a plan or project likely to have a significant effect on the conservation status of a species (Salmo Salar) for which a Candidate Special area for Conservation had been identified in Ireland (the river Finn).
``DCAL licensed and allowed the killing of an Annex II directed species without taking account of or consulting other member nations on the impact upon their SAC (the river Finn) of that licensed activity.
Immediate introduction of ‘catch and release’ for salmon in order to protect stocks. We must now build on this success of the Habitats Directive in protecting the remaining salmon stock and work across a range of measures to conserve and enhance this wonderful fish for the future.’’

Ulster Unionist MLA Robin Swann said: ``While there has been much focus on the plight of the salmon, it is clear that the salmon is not alone in being taken to the point of extinction.

``Some may see the Assembly debate last week and the measures being introduced by the Minister as some kind of victory. They are not. It is a disgrace that we as a society have come to the point where we have to debate how close to extinction we are taking salmon or how much we are decimating dollaghan, pike, pollen and a host of other fish.
``In bringing, the debate forward the Ulster Unionist Party wants to ensure that no one is left in any doubt, that it is through the actions of some and the inaction of others that this debate was necessary.
My party colleagues Sandra Overend and Danny Kinahan, have invested a lot of time in this cause.
``I want to highlight the status of another of our iconic species, the Lough Neagh eel.

Recently the eel has been awarded the much sought after protected geographical indication status.
But behind this good news story lies the fact that the Lough Neagh eel is under severe threat. Climate change and other factors far outside the control of this administration have brought us to the point where the eel population is no longer sustainable.

``Only by direct intervention through stocking and a comprehensive eel management plan overseen by Europe does a fishery still exist. But that may change because if the eel management plan does not improve the situation, we may be back t Stormont considering the future of that fishery.
``Officials tell us that 20 per cent of the fish biomass can be harvested from Lough Neagh and it still remains a sustainable fishery. The problem is they don’t know the starting point and they can only guess at what is being harvested.
``In the last financial year DCAL bailiffs found 45,000 metres of illegal nets in Lough Neagh.
That would be the same as running a net between Belfast City Hall and Ballymena Town Hall.
These are monofilament nets, which the fish cannot see, which can catch tons at a time and cost only a few pounds. That is not sport, nor is it a culture or someone’s tradition it’s criminal and must be ended.

“Wild Atlantic salmon are in decline, and face the very real threat of extinction. The combined weight of scientific evidence, coupled with the possibility of heavy European fines, shows that continued exploitation of this species – for commercial or leisure purposes – is unsustainable. We did not arrive at this point because of a few nets off the coast or a few anglers catching salmon in rivers. We are here because of a breakdown in the salmon ecosystem, where once 30 per cent of salmon that left our rivers returned now less than 5per cent return.
``That is barely sustainable, take out what are being caught and the salmon will be extinct in or waters in a few years. Just as a few are asked not to net salmon, many thousands of anglers understand that circumstances may dictate that they will never again be able to catch and kill salmon from our rivers.

Sean Mc Garry writes: ``The No Salmon Nets group has played a major role in highlighting the nets issue. Although barely seven months old, this group has succeeded where others failed. This group of anglers were responsible for bringing politicians from different parties together to inform the Minister that salmon populations were nearing extinction. A petition with almost 6,000 signatures and hundreds of letters to the Minister’s office was the work of the NSN group. The passion and dedication of this group has brought salmon conservation to a new level.

``The Glens are well represented in this group and, indeed, some of its founder members come from the Glens. It took all groups including NSN to bring this to where it is now and to do a job that was done for them by the No Salmon Nets group who do not get paid. Before the NSN was formed most politicians did not even know that there were nets still fishing. Indeed a lot of anglers did not know either but that has changed now and I know why’’.

Meanwhile, fishing has picked up on the Bundrowes. Two dozen salmon have been caught there so far this year, about the same as at this time last year. Fishery proprietor Shane Gallagher says there has been a good run of fish into the river which augurs well for this week-end and for fishing in Lough Melvin.

On Wednesday, Enniskillen angler Davy Elliott had a fish of 10lb on the fly at Briney’s pool and Alan Kendall, Comber, had one of 9lb on the prawn from the Old sea pool. On Tuesday, Columba
Fitzpatrick, Enniskillen, had one of 7lb on the worm from the Turn pool.

At Craigmore dry fly fishing was the most popular over the past couple of weeks, with every fish being caught on the lake with dry flies on five days out of eight. Jeff Elliot, Antrim, had a 10lb rainbow on a dawl bach on his first outing in a few months. Roy Todd had eight on various dries including a tagged fish netting him £25. Tom Gillan, Ballymena, had five on his first visit, all on dry flies. He came back a second time and netted 12 to 4lb 9oz, all on dries mostly Griffiths gnats . Gordon Wilson had 18 on various olive and brown dry flies. Martin Foster had 16 to 5lb on mixed black lures.

Other catches were: David Matthew, seven; Robert Paul, seven; Ed Brown, eight; James Owen, eight; Billy Hazelett,six; Craig Murray,eight; Pat Harkin, seven; Matthew Laffin, eight; Sam Benson , one of 3lb 15oz; Gary Chambers, one of 4lb. fish.

Environmental organisations have welcomed the introduction of the Northern Ireland Marine Bill at Stormont .The most important marine legislation in Northern Ireland’s history, the Bill was finally presented to Stormont by the Minister of the Environment for Northern Ireland, Alex Attwood .
Richard Devlin from the Northern Ireland Marine Taskforce said: “If we are to conserve our precious marine heritage for the future it is vital that we get it right the first time around. The Bill needs to be watertight, with its focus firmly on conservation of the marine environment, while also recognising the sustainable economic opportunities that our seas offer. The NIMTF will continue to work with the politicians currently considering the detail of the Bill to ensure that it really does herald a new chapter for our seas.

``Our local seas are home to an extraordinary range of life. Puffins, seals, fish, sharks, local coral, unique sponges and algae are just some of the marine life that a NIMA can secure a future for. A successful Marine Act is one that achieves healthy, productive and resilient seas while supporting coastal communities- today, tomorrow and forever.

``While the NIMTF welcomes the introduction of the Bill it is concerned that it will not address the critical issue of how Government departments manage our seas. We have 11 different Government agencies taking responsibility for our local seas. It is a failed model. One need only look at Strangford Lough to see how our current way of managing our seas is not working. We strongly urge our politicians, after past failures, to grasp this opportunity to get the management of our seas right. A single organisation – a Northern Ireland Marine Management Organisation – would provide a cost-effective and streamlined solution. In the interim, we will be calling upon the key departments- DoE, DARD and DETI in particular, to finally work together to meet the challenge”.

The NIMTF is calling for the Marine Conservation Zone network that the legislation will establish to include special areas of the sea called 'No Take' Zones. Richard Devlin said. “'No Take' Zones are areas of the sea were human activity is very heavily restricted. This is important for nature but it is also important for us as well. Properly looked after 'No Take' Zones act as the seed beds for the regeneration and restoration of particularly vulnerable and commercially valuable species and features. The Bill needs to include the powers to create these.”

To find out more about the Marine Bill and how you can support it, go to: www.nimtf.org

Meanwhile, in response to a series of questions, DARD has confirmed that heather burning will not be permitted on what it calls blanket bog. It says heather more than 200 metres above sea level tends to be blanket bog on which grazing is permitted.

And there is the rub for I know lots of moors above 200 metres where the heather is perfect and highly nutritious, growing on peatland where the depth is often well under 12 in inches.

Asked if it was the case that under CMS farmers have been told that if the heather is too short they won’t get their money and that 200m above sea level they aren’t allowed to touch it, DARD said:
``Farmers in the Countryside Management Scheme (CMS), who breach the terms of their management agreement, may face a financial penalty. As part of their agreement, all Scheme participants must maintain land in good agricultural and environmental condition (GAEC). One of the GAEC requirements is that farmers should avoid overgrazing grassland and semi-natural habitat with livestock in such numbers which would damage the growth, quality or species composition of vegetation on that land to any significant degree.

``Heather which is found above 200m above sea level tends to be blanket bog on which grazing is permitted``.

Asked what was going to happen to places where the heather was burned in the wildfires last May, DARD said: ``Heather that has been burnt will naturally regenerate’’. Whish doesn’t answer the question at all as it was related o the possible withholding of payments.

DARD said that participants in the new Countryside Management Scheme receive payments in return for managing their land to benefit the environment. The rate of payment varies from one agreement to another depending on the farmland habitats and features and habitat enhancement options that are being managed.

A noted Ballyclare huntsman tells me that a friend of his in North Antrim is working on a project which, he hopes will produce a totally new type of fox terrier. He said: ``I have not got all the details about the pups’ mother but the father showed in no uncertain way that he knew exactly what to do when he came upon a big vixen that was killing lambs near Bushmills this week. Pups are unlikely to be available for purchase some considerable length of time.

Ends