Angling club makes waves over East Europeans killing fish

A fishing club says it will not restock a Co Cork reservoir until bylaws are introduced to prevent Eastern European anglers, living locally, from killing their fish.

Fermoy Coarse Angling Club spokesman Tommy Lawton said the situation had become so bad at Knockananig reservoir — which was developed as a tourist angling attraction — that some species, such as tench, had been completely wiped out.

Other stocks of large coarse fish, such as bream, have also been seriously depleted.

“They’re even taking away the small fish,” said Mr Lawton.

The club says it has restocked the reservoir on several occasions, but has now reached the end of its tether.

Coarse anglers traditionally put their catch back into the water, but the culture is different among Eastern European anglers, who often light camp fires at the site and barbecue the fish, as has been witnessed by the Irish Examiner.

A few years ago, the angling club pleaded with Fermoy Town Council, which oversees the facility, to put up signs in a number of Eastern European languages warning anglers that they must return the fish alive to the reservoir. The request, however, fell on deaf ears.

A sub-committee of the council has now drafted bylaws prohibiting certain activities at the reservoir. These include making it illegal to deliberately kill fish.The bylaws have gone out for public consultation. They also include a proposed prohibition on swimming in the reservoir, which is up to 10m deep in places.

In addition, it is proposed to ban the lighting of campfires, letting horses swim in the water, and the use of dinghies.

Mr Lawton said it was imperative that the bylaw prohibiting the killing of fish was adopted as soon as possible, otherwise stocks will become so depleted the reservoir will no longer be an attraction for visiting anglers. He said, if introduced, his club members would police the enforcing of the bylaw, possibly aided by fisheries officers.

However, most of the fish are being killed at night, which would make it more difficult to police. Other locals are also concerned that, as the reservoir is 5km from the town, council’s employees will not be able to enforce the bylaws, while the gardaí have more important things to do.

Labour councillor Tadhg O’Donovan, who is chairman of the reservoir sub-committee, said he didn’t know what bylaws would eventually be passed, and when that might happen. He said that, only when the bylaws were introduced, would the need to enforce them arise.

Independent councillor John Murphy said council staff were so depleted they would not be in a position to act as enforcement officers. As chairman of the town’s Joint Policing Committee, he plans to raise the matter at the next meeting, on Sept 10.