Knives produced during aggressive incidents  toward fisheries inspectors

In 2019 staff spent a total of 157,980 hours on patrolling activities, guarding against poaching and protecting salmon stocks and other fish such as sea trout and char. 

Inland Fisheries Ireland has said its staff are increasingly facing incidents of aggression and in some cases, there have even been knives produced. 

The latest annual report from IFI shows an overall fall in the number of patrols, but a huge increase in the patrols carried out by bike — including ebikes — as well as the introduction of drone patrols.

The report references a "further increase" in aggressive behaviour in 2019.

"In the South East there were encounters with gangs on the river Slaney in the early part of the year; and in the second quarter, the Enniscorthy team seized 11 rods, issued 8 fixed charge penalty notices and issued 27 warnings to anglers. This higher level of risk associated with such behaviour means that we need additional resources to ensure that staff can carry out their patrols safely in this area," it said.

Bicycle patrols

Vehicle and foot patrols were still responsible for the vast majority of the 28,274 patrols carried out in 2019, but the number of bike patrols almost doubled to 1,344 and it was also the first year when the IFI utilised drones, sending them on 56 patrols.

According to the report: "In 2019, we significantly increased the number of bicycle patrols, including electric bikes that enable staff to cover greater distances more quickly.

"Eight members of Inland Fisheries Ireland’s National Drone Team completed small unmanned aircraft (SUA) training with the Civil Defence following final flight tests at Gormanstown, Co. Meath. 

"These pilots are now licensed by the Irish Aviation Authority to deploy drones (as a component of protection or other activities) beyond normal regulatory limits and we are in the process of developing an application to the Authority for a Specific Operating Permission in this regard."

Increased deployment of drones

It said in 2019, it deployed drones in a number of cases, including an environmental investigation in Cork and in a case involving the seizure of equipment that had been used for illegal fishing on the Quinn River.

"We expect that our patrol teams will use drones more frequently in the future."

In 2019 staff spent a total of 157,980 hours on patrolling activities, guarding against poaching and protecting salmon stocks and other fish such as sea trout and char. It represented a fall of more than 20,000 hours compared to 2018.

Inspections also fell, as did the number of cautions and fixed charged notices issued to anglers.

The number of compliance checks of fish dealers and restaurants/ hotels/guesthouses was almost exactly the same in 2019 as it was a year earlier.

The number of prosecutions brought by the IFI increased in 2019, to 89, and the number of prosecutions concluded rose by 10 to 77.