Weir a ‘significant barrier’ to fish
By Peter Gleeson
A WEIR on one of North Tipperary's leading wild trout and Atlantic salmon rivers is presenting a “significant barrier” to fish and interfering with their life cycle, the State body in charge of angling on inland waterways has stated.
Inland Fisheries Ireland is now examining ways to tackle the blockages at the weir on the Mulcair River at Annacotty to enable fish to swim upstream to their natural spawning grounds.
Inland Fisheries has said it intends to apply for planning permission to change the structure of the weir to make it more fish-friendly.
A well-attended public information meeting was held in Limerick on Tuesday of last week to make more people aware of the the problems currently being encountered by fish such as trout and salmon that are already under threat due to issues such as climate change, pollution and other other multi-faceted issues. Discussed at the meeting was the planned Annacotty Fish Passage Project, and views were expressed on potential solutions to the problems the weir is having on fish populations.
Almost 60 people turned out for the meeting at the Castletroy Park Hotel. Attendees included members of the public, representatives from community groups, local angling clubs, Annacotty residents, government departments, state agencies and environmental organisations.
Public representatives also attended the event, including Deputy Kieran O'Donnell TD, Cllr Seán Hartigan and Cllr Elena Secas.
IMPACT ON SURVIVAL RATES
Inland Fisheries said the weir has been classified as a “significant barrier” to fish, negatively impacting on survival rates for game fish as well as eels and sea and river lamprey.
Inland Fisheries Ireland’s Brian Coghlan, a Research Officer with the National Barriers Programme, gave a presentation about how the weir is blocking the passage of fish with resultant problems for their life cycle.
Alan Cullagh, a Fisheries Development Inspector with Inland Fisheries Ireland, talked about how the problems could be overcome and what solutions were being used in Ireland and internationally to improve fish passage at barriers. A panel discussion also took place with questions from the audience.
Closing the session, Suzanne Campion, Head of Business Development with Inland Fisheries Ireland, said: “The Annacotty Fish Passage Project is a very important project to improve access to fisheries habitat on the river Mulkear and it is heartening to see the public interest in this project.
“We are seeking the views of the public to help inform the most appropriate solution for improving fish passage at Annacotty. This, along with environmental and technical assessments, will enable us to put the preferred option forward for planning permission.”
INTER AGENCY GROUP
An Interagency Group for the Annacotty Fish Passage Project has been set-up, which includes representatives from Inland Fisheries Ireland, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Limerick City and County Council, the Office of Public Works (OPW), the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) and the ESB.
The planned works on Annacotty Weir are part of a pilot project to assist with the design and implementation of a national barriers restoration programme currently being progressed by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in collaboration with a range of State Bodies.