Anglers stay away and tourism pays the price for Government inaction
It is Armageddon for the noble salmon, with drift and draft netting acting as a ‘wall of death’ for salmon trying to ascend our rivers to spawn.
The EU Commission has issued a formal notice of complaint to the Irish Government regarding its failure to meet its obligations under the EU habitats directive as Irish drift nets are now intercepting up to 12% of salmon destined for British rivers. Scientific research has indicated that over 97% of micro-tagged smolts from the Liffey system and 67% from the south-east have ended up in drift nets when returning as adult salmon to spawn.
