Aquatic Environment
Maintaining Healthy fish populations ..…….Naturally.
The presence of healthy self sustaining fish populations is a good indicator of environmental quality. The Aquatic Environment function of the Board is focused towards the protection of fish and fish habitat in streams, rivers, lakes and transitional waters.
Evidence of dead or dying fish is clearly evidence that something has gone wrong but more often pressures impacting on fish populations often act in a more inconspicuous way that in the first instance affects early fish early life stages. Indeed, the full impact on fish populations often only becomes apparent once comprehensive catchment wide fish surveys are undertaken and patterns emerge which show zones where normal fish populations no longer exist or indeed where key species may absent. See Owenboliska salmon fry survey, 2008. Coupled with this data and relevant EPA biological assessments, it is then possible to address environmental pressures adopting a more structured approach - increasingly in collaboration with other authorities.
With the publication of relatively new approaches to the management of wild salmon and in particular the publication of the wild salmon and sea trout tagging scheme regulations, it is apparent that not all salmon rivers meeting their conservation limits and are closed for angling. The associated environmental pressures will be addressed within this new framework and it is anticipated that salmon restoration plans will be prepared for selected salmon rivers. As salmon is an annex 2 species, it is anticipated that in the context of SAC management plans that river specific fish status and restoration plans will address the issue of pressures affecting the resource.
The Board is committed to working with key stakeholders in order to address the challenges ahead. In particular anglers who are the eyes and ears of the Board are encouraged to report pollution incidents. The core activities for 2009 relate to the key activities.
- Database of environmental incident, complaints and referrals.
- Corrib, Mask Carra monitoring program.
- Actions with respect to impacts on fish, fish habitat and water quality.
- Water Framework Directive
The powers of the Board are set out in the following statutes.
- The Fisheries Consolidation Act, 1959
- The Local Government Water Pollution Acts 1977-1990.
- Local Government (Planning and Development) Regulations 2001
New Protocols
Much work has been undertaken during recent years both in the context of the EPA monitoring and research programs and the various studies undertaken in the lead up to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. New protocols have been developed or are emerging in relation to fish status assessment. The Board will be using these new tools.
Fish populations are assessed by defining reference conditions, sampling monitoring sites, assessing the deviation from reference conditions and assigning quality status ranging from (a) High (b) Good (c) Moderate (d) Poor (e) Bad. For fish populations, the Directive describes high, good and modest status.
Fig 1. WFD Fish status categories.
Fish assessments have to be undertaken in a manner that is WFD compliant for the surveillance sites as follows.
Fig 2. WFD Surveillance site – Lakes, Rivers & Transitional Waters.
Increasingly the Board is working in collaboration with other state agencies in delivering the targets as set out in the Water Framework Directive, the stated aim of which is geared towards restoring water quality to good status by 2015.
The Board will be reviewing the draft River Basin Management Plan and the program of measures. New threats are emerging such as the spread of invasive species. The aquatic environment function is structured so as to respond to the more serious environmental threats and to take actions necessary to prevent threats to fish populations and their habitats and to ensure that where fish populations are adversely affected that remedial measures are implemented.
Long term improvement in water quality will be increasingly achieved through active participation within the River Basin Framework and implementation of the program of measures for the various sectors.
Biosecurity plans have been prepared for Lough Mask and Lough Carra and new plans are being developed for Lough Corrib and coarse fisheries.
Fig 5. Gyrodactylus.
Environmental Incidents and complaints should be reported to any Fisheries Officer or as follows;
info@wrfb.ie
Tel 091 563118
Weekend emergency answering machine 091 563118
Fish Counters
The board operates a number of fish counters in the region. Information on the fish counter programme can be found here