Lakes in south Mayo at crisis point

LAKES in south Mayo are at crisis point, a local councillor has warned.

If spawning streams and nursery beds are not attended to, we can’t expect to have viable trout fisheries, Councillor Michael Burke has informed the Minister for the Environment in a letter. The minister has responsibility for Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI).

Loughs Carra, Mask and Corrib were the premier wild brown trout fisheries in Europe when Ireland joined the EU, explained Councillor Burke.

At that time the local Inland Fisheries Trust diligently attended to the spawning streams and controlled weed growth and the spread of predators. The Western Regional Fisheries Board later took on the management and development of these unique fisheries and after a big investment by government in the '90s, the lakes were flourishing and their social and economic benefit to the area was enormous.

IFI was formed in 2010 and given national responsibility for the conservation, management and protection of Ireland’s rivers and lakes.

Said Councillor Burke: “While local staff are committed and active it seems to me that there is a distinct cultural problem and 'the one size fits all' approach is not working to the benefit of our unique lakes.

“Our lakes are at crisis point, water quality is deteriorating and invasive weed and alien species are an existential threat.”

Appealing to the minister to intervene 'to give our once priceless lakes a fighting chance', he said it seemed to him that a root and branch review in IFI is overdue.

“The latest corporate plan from IFI, as published on their website, wisely places an emphasis on habitat maintenance and development - in other words 'boots on the ground'. The plan is good but like all plans it’s the delivery that counts and it’s the failure to deliver is obvious.

“If we don’t attend to the spawning streams and nursery beds as the IFT used to do we can’t expect to have viable trout fisheries.”