Latest news with #Anglers
Irish Times
2 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Anglers fear up to 46,000 fish dead after ‘devastating' kill on Blackwater in Co Cork
Anglers in north Co Cork believe up to 46,000 fish may have died in a 'devastating' kill on a section of the river Blackwater. Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is investigating the cause of the kill, saying that present indications suggest between 8,000 and 10,000 wild fish mortalities occurred on a 30km stretch of the river between Lombardstown and Killavullen as well as tributaries such as the Clyde and Awbeg. The State agency is basing the estimate on its observations and data submitted by local stakeholders. However, angling clubs say the numbers are much higher, at up to 46,000, and impact on every species present in the river including trout, salmon, stickleback, dace and fresh water eel. READ MORE Dan Dennehy, club secretary of Kanturk and District Trout Anglers, described the fish kill as 'devastating' and 'off the scale'. 'Salmon, eels, trout – thousands and thousands of them. We don't know the extent of it or what is causing it,' he said. He said it was one of the biggest fish kills he was aware of in the State. 'There is a load of unanswered questions in relation to it,' he added. Mr Dennehy said Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Timmy Dooley and Cork North-West TD and Minister of State Michael Moynihan visited the river and met local anglers. 'I presume they will bring in experts to regenerate the river,' he said. 'It is desperate to see. If you see the glory of the trout in the river and then you see them dead there is no comparison. The numbers are just savage.' An alliance of game angling federations described the fish kill as a 'wipeout of the river'. Seán Long, director of IFI's South-Western river Basin District, said the Marine Institute conducted diagnostic sampling of affected fish at Mallow on August 14th. He said a report was expected within three weeks. 'Disease outbreaks can occur in wild fish populations and are influenced by numerous factors including environmental change,' he said. 'No evidence of a polluting or harmful discharge has been detected to date in the river.' He previously said it appeared that many of the dead fish had a fungal infection, though it was not clear if this was the primary cause of their deaths. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said 'preliminary sample results indicate no causal link between the fish kill and discharges' from sites it has licensed. IFI is consulting with Uisce Éireann , the EPA, Cork County Council and the Marine Institute on the matter. The institute's fish health unit has advised that the removal of dead fish from the water is not necessary.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Anglers raise more than £4,000 at charity fishing event
Anglers have raised more than £4,000 for children's hospice care in Suffolk during a charity fishing match. More than 50 competitors took part in the six-hour event at Stonham Barns lakes in Stonham Aspal, raising £4,015 for East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH). The match, organised by Angela Baldry, was the third in a series and has brought the overall fundraising total to £8,446. Ms Baldry said: "It was a great day, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. "The weather was a bit cooler, windy and overcast, but at least it stayed dry. "Fifty-two competitors took part and, considering the number of people fishing, some good weights were caught." Anglers competed on both the Old Lake and New Lake, with refreshments including drinks and homemade sausage rolls on offer. Additional fundraising came from cakes and a raffle supported by local donations. Volunteer Tony Golding also attended to speak about EACH and its work at The Treehouse hospice in Ipswich. Ms Baldry said: "It was great to get an insight into what EACH does and what has to be raised to continue supporting local families. "My thanks go to all who donated prizes and bought raffle tickets. "Everyone was so generous." In the competition results, Paul Elvin won the Old Lake with 57lb 4oz, followed by Nick Marriot with 53lb 3oz and John Sheppard with 31lb 1oz. On the New Lake, John Dale came first with 91lb 10oz, ahead of Steve Elvin with 75lb 4oz and Steve Ling with 49lb 6oz.
