Traditional sportsmen make a stand

A LOBBY group yesterday impressed on TDs from a number of parties the importance of traditional sports, such as angling, coursing and shooting in rural life.

The group, claiming to represent 100,000 people, called for greater recognition of the benefits of traditional sports, more consultation with rural stakeholders and state funding for the management and promotion of all game species.

Represented in the group were the Federation of Irish Salmon and Sea Trout Anglers (FISSTA), National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC), Irish Coursing Club (ICC) and Countryside Alliance Ireland.

The delegation met with representatives from the Progressive Democrats, Sinn Féin, Fine Gael and the Green Party to explain why country sports are so important in environmental, economic and social terms. The lobby group, which will meet with a Fianna Fáil representative separately, also called for:

lan end to commercial drift netting for salmon, through the introduction of a government-funded voluntary buy-out scheme;

l the introduction of legislation to require the relocation of all fish farm cages outside estuaries;

l a guarantee of protection for traditional shooting and fishing rights and an end to all evictions now;

l a fundamental review of the outdated firearms legislation and an independent complaints/appeals system for firearms licensing, which would be non-judicial;

l an immediate end to the government policy prohibiting shooting on State-owned lands.

Director of NARGC Desmond Crofton said his 24,000 members have been to the forefront of delivering conservation action for many years and had spent €600,000 on proficiency training and wildlife habitat improvements.

“NARGC has been vociferous in articulating our members’ concerns regarding the lack of co-operation and consultation that exists with many parts of government,” he said.

Chief executive of Countryside Alliance Ireland Ronan Gorman said that, with more than half a million people throughout Ireland involved in some form of country sports, they were one of our most important participation sports.

Chairman of FISSTA Noel Carr said that hisorganisation was deeply concerned about the continuing and alarming decline in native salmon and sea trout stocks.

“At a time when we are trying to escalate conservation efforts, we are disappointed that the Department of the Marine appears to have failed to appreciate the gravity of the situation,” he claimed.

Irish Coursing Club chief executive Jerry Desmond said that more than 40,000 people go coursing in Ireland, with 22,000 people from all over the world attending the annual national meeting in Clonmel.