Mike Fitzpatrick writing in the Irish Times

Folks interested in the Salmon drift net issue might be interested in Mike Fitzpatrick's article in the Irish TImes today (Thursday 24th Aug).

I've only scanned it and I'm not familiar with the details of the drift net issue, but it seems poorly written and makes some unfortunate statements, including:

"The order does not in fact ban angling as it allows for catch and release which still results in the killing of fish".

His overall argument wasn't very convincing at all.

Derek Evans provides opposing arguments in today's Irish Times (4th September):

Having read Mike Fitzpatrick's article (The Irish Times, August 23rd), in favour of continuing to commercially fish for wild salmon, I sometimes wonder if we are all living on the same planet.

...

Catch and release is a way forward. Angler catch-and-release studies have shown that with appropriate capture and handling techniques a high proportion of salmon will survive to spawn. Mortality rates of released fish can drop dramatically when anglers follow a few simple but important guidelines.

...

Salmon are wild, beautiful and a valuable national resource. If we continue to kill them at the present rate they will be gone for good from many Irish rivers. Careful management could save them. The first step is to stop the mixed-stock salmon driftnets.