'Dangerous' proposal for Moy will lead to 'war'

The fishing licence lottery system that is being proposed for the River Moy will "kill off angling" within its lengthy catchment and will create "war", according to a Foxford-based councillor.

Cllr Neil Cruise raised the matter at the December meeting of Mayo County Council, telling colleagues that "a dire situation [was] about to unfold in this county" due to a "very dangerous proposal" from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) for the River Moy.

"They are going to introduce a tag system that will be operated on a lottery basis for people to come and fish here from next summer. Only the people lucky enough to get a tag can fish on a catch-and-release system, but all our visitors who travel from all over are not going to come to the Moy for the upcoming season under this system. 

"This is going to wipe out angling tourism in our area. The River Moy reaches up into Sligo as well as being so important to Mayo and this change has come about through mismanagement and improper information being supplied to the powers-that-be.” 

Cllr Cruise said spawning beds on the River Moy have been disappearing but the reason it is happening is because of “very little effort from IFI”, adding: “If we are going to let a statutory body in this country close down our angling industry on one of the most prolific salmon fishing rivers in this country, it will be a terrible case for Mayo. This is very serious. This will wipe out international angling tourism into Mayo. Every predator is protected, from the seal to the cormorant, but nobody is protecting the angler and those the angler supports.” 

Cllr Chris Maxwell and Cllr Michael Burke supported Cllr Cruise in his criticism of IFI, with Cllr Burke stating: “Their accountability in the past has been questioned at senior level. They are closing down the Cong hatchery. Their interest in Mayo fisheries is about as much as mine is in Cork Harbour.” 

Cllr John O’Hara said Ballina is known as the salmon capital of Ireland and the proposed tag system will be "the biggest disgrace". He believed the reason behind it was that the River Moy was being over-fished, but that it was the seals in the Moy Estuary that are responsible for this as well as the trawler fishing at sea.

“If we get rid of anglers to the River Moy we are finished. It is very important for the whole of our county”, he said.

Highlighting that a public consultation process remains open up to December 20 next, Cllr Cruise urged all public representatives and the wider public to make submissions opposing the plan.

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.