Anglers target Fisheries Minister in trawl for votes

Trout and salmon anglers in North Connemara are planning to run a candidate to contest the next general election in Galway West.

The Independent candidate will run on a platform of protecting native salmonoids and a wider environmental agenda, including opposing mining and highlighting problems with fish farming and forestry in Connemara.

Oughterard Angling Club has confirmed to the Connacht Tribune that it will contest the next general election in the constituency, in the backyard of the former Minister of State with responsibility for Fisheries, Sean Kyne, a sitting Moycullen-based Fine Gael TD, and Government chief whip.

Mike Faherty, chairman of Oughterard Anglers, said policies to protect salmon and trout fisheries in County Galway would be a top priority.

“You can take it we will be running a candidate because we’re just not happy. It’s not a matter of us putting pressure on anybody or blaming anybody, we have to get representation who will do something for us,” he said.

The candidate will be selected in the coming weeks, he said.

The driving force behind plans to run an election candidate is anglers’ anger at the State’s failure to protect trout and salmon in the West. He pointed out that 15 years ago the State employed 17 staff to mind the Corrib, and that’s down to just two now.

“There are only two tenets really to minding salmonoid fisheries – there’s predator control and stream enhancement. They’re not doing either,” he said.

“It’s like protection for Japanese Knotweed, every time that stuff is found on the side of the road, they put up a sign to say it’s an invasive species and not to take cuttings. Why are our native fish not given the same protection? We’ll run a candidate to highlight these issues. We’re taking this awfully seriously.”

He said civil servants and Government were ‘driving towards a mixed fisheries model’, which will kill trout fishing.

“Mixed fisheries are pike-dominated fisheries. Corrib in particular is suitable to breeding pike, and trout will not survive it. The pike decimate the trout. It’s proven worldwide. All we want is those 14 lakes that were designated by Europe as salmonoid, to be looked after properly, the way they always have been, in fairness to them (old Western Fisheries Board).

“We said nothing for 30 years because we were happy with how the Western Fisheries Board were managing the fisheries. But they got rid of it, and there are top officials who want mixed fisheries. They don’t care about salmonoids. We’ve no objection to coarse fisheries. All we want is that the remaining lakes that we have, there aren’t many left now, the 14 that are designated by Europe, to be protected by law and managed appropriately,” said Mr Faherty.

He said fishing was very important to Oughterard and villages along the waterways.

“Families in Oughterard going back to the 1800s were reared on the Corrib. People reared 14 or 15 kids on the Corrib. There was eel and trout fishing. Down to this day, our village is very busy from March 1 to the end of May, totally because of fishing. We’ve an extended tourism season based on fishing, no other reason. It adds to our tourism industry. The serious trout angler is the one who spends the money. We need to protect trout fishing,” he said.

The anglers’ Dáil bid won’t just be about fishing, however.

“It’s about forestry, and all other issues that are impacting on the natural environment in the West of Ireland. It’s the likes of the fish farming and the mining and all that goes with it,” added Mr Faherty.

The candidate will be unveiled in the coming weeks.