If the management of Inland Fisheries Ireland has its way, the organisation’s trout fish farms across the country, including Cullion, Mullingar and Roscrea in Tipperary, will soon be closed, but it appears the present IFI approach may well result in another major rod licence dispute, because thousands of trout anglers are vowing to do what they can to stop the fish farm closures.
“What the IFI is now ploughing ahead with is going to deal a massive blow to trout angling and the angling tourism potential of this country, and my view is that they should be challenged as to where the organisation is actually going under the current management,” a furious Cllr. Andy Duncan (FG) told Topic this week. “ I don’t believe they are doing any longer what they were set up to do – to develop and promote angling in this country. They want to collect licence fees, but don’t want to continue the fine work of the past decades that IFI staff have done at Cullion, Roscrea and elsewhere,” he said.
Just two months ago, in the Topic issue of 12 May, we reported how plans announced by Inland Fisheries Ireland to close the fish farm at Cullion, Mullingar and their bigger farm at Roscrea and fish farms elsewhere had been “taken off the table” by IFI, with the Minister announcing a “full consultation period” over six months about the issue.
Now it appears, contrary to expectations that the “full consultation” would be about the pros and cons of closing the fish farms, IFI is treating the “consultation” period as a time for putting in place their closure plan. The fish farms are to remain operating “as normal” up to the end of this year, as the cessation plan is being developed. The IFI talk about retaining one fish farm in Cong, Co. Mayo for “research and necessary stocking”, but this isn’t clear.
The dismay and upset caused for local Lough Owel and other anglers by the IFI plan announced in April led to a protest meeting and warnings of a major dispute by anglers with IFI over the planned closures. The threat seemed to have been averted, with relevant Minister, Joe McHugh not happy over what had been announced.
A notice last week from the board of IFI makes it clear, however, that closing at least three of their four trout farms in Mullingar, Roscrea and Cork remains the IFI objective, and the Minister’s “six-month” consultation period appears shortened by half, with 19 August next given as the closure date for submissions.
Andy Boyle, Chairman of the Lough Owel Trout Preservation Association, told Topic this week that they had a meeting two weeks ago with the IFI and it was clear that they want to close the fish farms. “It is all about money,” he said
Mr. Boyle said they had have the full backing of the Trout Angling Federation of Ireland, the ITFFA and the National Anglers’ Representative Association regarding the planned closures, and these represent upwards of 12,000 Irish anglers.
From the latest IFI notice, it is clear they are still intent on closing both Cullion and Roscrea fish farms, speaking of “strategically exiting from production of brown trout and rainbow trout” and claim that for five years, the fish farms have operated at a loss, despite efforts to reduce costs and increase efficiency. The IFI board says it has instructed the executive to develop an exit plan “while making efforts to ensure continued supply of trout for stocking to anglers.”
Effectively, nothing has changed in the IFI fish-farm closure plans, as they are repeating what they told Topic in April, that all permanent staff will retain employment, with redeployment elsewhere. The statement says the consultation process will have “a particular focus on the impact of cessation and possible mitigating measures” and is targeted at the stakeholders and individuals affected.
The two local public representatives who led the way opposing the planned closure of the Cullion fish farm, Deputy Peter Burke and Cllr. Andrew Duncan (a member of the IFI Board up to two years ago), have been forced into action again, with Deputy Burke meeting the new Minister, Sean Kyne over the issue, and also the CEO of IFI, making clear his total opposition to what is planned. He will fight this in any way possible, he said.
Cllr. Andrew Duncan warned that the IFI is alienating the angling clubs and fishermen, and is hurting angling tourism. Everything is about accounting, but the organisation was put in place to develop and promote Irish angling, which is worth up to €1 bn. annually to the Irish economy.
A €50,000 report from international experts from Canada on the IFI fish farms said they were among the best run and most effective in Europe, but the IFI did not publish it, because it wasn’t saying the right thing, Cllr. Duncan said. “As I see it, the policy is to close down fish farms and cut spending. They’ve halved staff in recent years. Irish fisheries are being ruined by the present approach. If Cullion closes, Lough Owel will be unsustainable, and Lene will be hit, as well as and many angling clubs. No one else can rear brown trout excep the fish farm experts. Locals can’t do it,” he concluded.
