Group tasked with proposing ways to increase fish passage levels in Ireland’s largest catchment
Improved fish passage could improve aquatic environment and enhance local recreation and tourism at Parteen
Any proposed pilot project could be pathway to solutions to fish barriers across Ireland
The Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Damien English, the Minister of State for Rural Affairs and Natural Resources, Seán Canney, and Jim Dollard, ESB Executive Director, Generation & Trading, today chaired the inaugural meeting of a working group tasked with recommending ways to improve fish passage at Parteen on the River Shannon.
In the early 20th century, the Shannon was renowned as a producer of salmon. In the intervening period, there has been a significant reduction of spawning and nursery habitat in the river for a number of reasons. While there are a number of barriers to fish migration on the Shannon, improved passage of fish around the hydroelectric scheme would enhance the ecological condition of the river and give fish improved access to the upper Shannon catchment – the largest catchment in Ireland. Thus, it could potentially enhance tourism and angling in the area. Establishment of a working group was a commitment in the Government’s River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) 2018-2021, published in April 2018.
The working group, to be chaired by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (DHPLG), will consider the impact of barriers to fish migration at Parteen and Ardnacrusha and is tasked with making recommendations for improving fish passage in the environs. It is expected to make its recommendations within eighteen months. Technological and scientific advancements have enhanced fish connectivity through barriers elsewhere in Europe. Many barriers to fish movement exist in Ireland’s aquatic environment, however, the barriers in the lower Shannon are perhaps the most high-profile example.
Speaking this afternoon at the launch of the working group at the ESB’s Ardnacrusha Generating Station, Minister English said:
Today is an important step on our journey towards improving our water ecology in Ireland. Steady fish passage is vital for having sustainable fish stocks, and a healthy aquatic environment. The Government promised to establish a steering group to examine the barriers to fish passage at Parteen and Ardnacrusha and today we are delivering. I hope that the group’s work will ultimately lead to a solution for improving fish passage here, which, if successful, could inform our approach to other fish barriers across the country.
Minister Seán Canney, who is responsible for Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), said:
I am delighted that IFI will be central to this group. Increased fish stocks in the lower Shannon could bring enormous recreational and economic benefits to the area: increased opportunities for local anglers and tourists fishing on the Shannon, and a resultant boost to the local economy. The Government is taking a national approach to addressing fish barriers and the IFI has a crucial contribution to make - both through membership of this group and through their development of a national inventory of barriers to fish passage on rivers.
Jim Dollard, ESB’s Director of Generation, also welcomed the new initiative.
ESB is committed to Ireland’s environment and natural landscape, and every year we focus significant resources and expertise on waterways and fish conservation through a number of initiatives. ESB plays a significant role in the delivery of Ireland’s National Eel Management Plan, operates hatcheries on the Shannon, Erne and the Lee and eight fish passes and lifts along the rivers where we have a presence. We have also delivered many river development projects across the Shannon through our interactions with the local angling community. ESB is happy to continue to work with stakeholders to improve the Shannon as an amenity.
Notes for Editors
- Up to the early 20th century, the river Shannon was renowned as a producer of salmon. Since then, fish spawning and nursery habitat in the river has deteriorated, despite the proactive approach of the ESB towards the conservation of species. An example of this is the construction of the fish passage that currently exists. Further mitigating the impact of the Parteen/Ardnacrusha barriers would give fish improved access to Lough Derg and improve access in much of the Upper Shannon catchment.
- Improved fish passage could potentially enhance enhanced tourism and angling in the area. The National Strategy for Angling Development, published by IFI in 2015, stated that the number of anglers of salmon and sea trout in Ireland in 2014/2015 was 128,988 (62,928 domestic anglers, 17,220 from Northern Ireland and 48,840 anglers from overseas). The total economic contribution from this angling was €210 million.
- The Steering Group has two sub-groups: a core group and a consultative group. The core group is responsible for producing potential solutions. It consists of organisations that would have a direct role in any potential pilot project:
- The DHPLG, which is responsible for water quality policy and overseeing the implementation of the River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2018-2021.
- The ESB, which owns and operates Ardnacrusha Generating Station, and has statutory responsibility for managing, conducting and preserving the fisheries throughout the Shannon catchment.
- IFI, which is responsible for the conservation, protection, development, management and promotion of inland fisheries and sea angling resources in Ireland
- Irish Water, as the national water utility
The consultative group consists of organisations with an interest in the Upper Shannon catchment. The core group will consult with and inform this group on the development of potential solutions. Its members are:
- The OPW, the lead agency for flood risk management in Ireland
- Waterways Ireland, responsible for the management, maintenance, development and restoration of inland navigable waterways
- The National Parks and Wildlife Service, responsible for the lower Shannon Special Area of Conservation (SAC) at Parteen
- The Environmental Protection Agency, responsible for the characterisation of catchments under the Water Framework Directive (WFD)
The Shannon Fisheries Partnership Group, which represents recreational anglers and eel fishermen on the Shannon
- Under the WFD, parts of the Shannon are classified as a ‘Heavily Modified Water Bodies’. Ireland is required to implement measures to bring the river to the status of Good Ecological Status or Potential, as appropriate, by 2027. This involves taking mitigation measures to improve the river’s ecological status. In this regard, enhancing the river’s fish habitats is very important.
- The RBMP 2018-2021 contained a commitment that the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government would establish a steering group to review and make recommendations for improving fish passage throughout the Shannon catchment.
- The RBMP also contained a commitment that the IFI would lead a multi-stakeholder programme that would collect and collate data for developing a national inventory of barriers to fish migration. The barriers will be ranked according to the risk they pose to fish migration. The inventory will form the basis of a prioritised restoration programme to be implemented in Cycle 3 of the WFD (2022-2027). This multi-stakeholder programme is in progress.
- The RBMP 2018-2021 outlines the measures the State and other sectors will take to improve water quality in Ireland’s groundwater, rivers, lakes, estuarine and coastal waters over a four year period. The Government aims to protect and improve water quality in 726 of Ireland’s 4,829 water bodies by the end of 2021.
- The RBMP 2018-2021 measures already implemented include:
- Rollout of the new Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme
- Recruitment of specialist local authority investigative assessment personnel, who will carry out scientific assessments of water bodies and drive the implementation of measures at a local level
- Establishment of a register of abstractions to improve management of Ireland’s water resources and publication of related legislation to develop a water abstractions control system
- Development of water and planning guidance for planning authorities
- Water quality data for the 2013-15 monitoring period shows that:
- 57% of river water bodies have good or high quality status
- 46% of lakes water bodies have good quality status
- 79% of coastal water bodies have good quality status
- 91% of groundwaters have good quality status
- There has been a decline in the proportion of rivers with high status water quality (i.e. water bodies in near pristine condition). Between 2007 and 2009, an estimated 13% of all rivers had high status. Between 2013 and 2015, this declined to 10% of rivers.