Inland Fisheries Ireland has successfully won a court case for illegal fishing in Dundalk.
Mr Pat Smith of 15 Seaview, Annagassan, Co Louth was fined €100 for illegal salmon fishing and ordered to pay total costs of €460 to Inland Fisheries Ireland in Drogheda District Court on 27th September.
His co-accused, Mr Jimmy Mulroy of 25 Seaview, Annagassan, Co Louth was fined €100 for illegal salmon fishing and ordered to pay total costs of €777 to Inland Fisheries Ireland in Drogheda District Court on 22nd October last.
On 13th June Mr Pat Smith and Mr Jimmy Mulroy were found to be illegally fishing for salmon at Annagassan, Co Louth which is the meeting point of the River’s Dee and Glyde. Fisheries officers Dermot Wynne, Thomas Duffy and Seamus Kelledy apprehended them. Both sides were represented in court on different dates and pleaded guilty to the charges.
Judge Flann Brennan convicted both individuals under Section 95 of the 1959 Fisheries Act, for having a net in their possession which was capable of capturing salmon. In 2006 Inland Fisheries Ireland introduced a series of conservation measures in order to combat the decline in salmon numbers.
At the peak of salmon production in the 1970’s, approximately 3,000 salmon were caught commercially in Dundalk waters, the Dee and Glyde rivers making a large contribution towards this catch. This declined to an all time low in 2006 when only 225 were caught in the entire Dundalk bay area.
Consequently all the rivers on the East coast with the exception of the River Fane were closed for salmon fishing. The rivers Dee and Glyde were open for catch and release only for salmon fishing.
Inland Fisheries Ireland have a freefone number to enable members of the general public to report poaching and pollution incidences – 1890 34 74 24.
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