IFI investigates damage to stock management nets on Galway and Mayo lakes
Staff at Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) have been told to monitor gill nets on lakes in Galway and Mayo for potential vandalism. These nets help manage stocks of invasive species including pike.
The IFI has confirmed that it is aware of at least two incidents of damage caused to nets on Lough Corrib and Lough Mask in March of this year.
One of the incidents was reported to Gardaí, and IFI said it was unable to establish if the second incident of damage to nets was deliberate or not.
The IFI nets are used as a stock management tool to help remove invasive species such as pike and other coarse fish from those lakes.
It’s understood one line of investigation is that the nets may have been damaged deliberately by anglers who do not want coarse fish taken out of Corrib and Mask.
The IFI said it became aware of one of its gill nets being cut at Lower Lough Corrib on March 6 during routine stock management.
“It cannot be confirmed whether the damage was intentional. The cut net was retrieved, and district staff were informed of the incident and instructed to monitor for any potential interference with gill nets in specific locations going forward,” IFI said in reply to a Parliamentary Question submitted by Galway West Sinn Féin TD, Mairéad Farrell.
There was another incident on March 20, when during routine stock management, “a gill net owned by IFI and used for approved operations was found to have been cut from its buoy and removed on the northwest section of Lough Mask”.
“A search of the surrounding area was conducted, but the net could not be located. The matter was reported to An Garda Síochána. District staff were notified and asked to continue monitoring for possible interference with gill nets in designated locations,” IFI said.
Under Article 6(3) of the Habitats Directive Appropriate Assessment screening completed by IFI removal of non-native invasive fish species such as pike, roach, bream and roach-bream hybrids is necessary to maintain the integrity of Loughs Corrib and Mask