Weir stops salmon going upstream to spawn
Fishermen fear an ecological disaster after thousands of salmon found their migratory path blocked by a new weir and fish-pass on the River Nore.
Engineers from the Department of the Marine and members of the Southern Fisheries Board visited the weir in Kilkenny city last night. Southern Fisheries Board chief executive Brian Sheeran said the new system is not working and needs to be addressed.
Thousands of fish returning to spawning grounds are massing downstream of the new weir, put in place as part of the €45 million Office of Public Works River Nore Drainage Scheme earlier this year.
“Most of these salmon are spawning fish who are desperate to get up river,” said Mr Sheeran.
“Because it’s a new weir there are no holes in it and the fish are tired from days of trying and are now returning downstream,” he said.
Mr Sheeran last night admitted the fish-pass designed by the Department of the Marine “is not working.” “Fish are jumping into the pass, which is wrong. Fish should be able to swim up a fish-pass,” he said.
Mr Sheeran said urgent temporary measures such as creating a hole in the weir may need to be put in place to get spawning fish up river this week.
Department engineers and Southern Fisheries Board members will attempt to examine the base of the new fish-pass later today. “There may be an obstruction at the bottom of the pass, but we also need to examine the profile levels in the design of the pass.
“The salmon should be able to find the surge of water at the bottom of the fish-pass but there may be a design error or concrete obstruction somewhere,” said Mr Sheeran.
“It’s essential we get the older and spawning fish up river in the coming days,” he said. The board has put protection in place on the river to deter poachers.
