Caz-Galway wrote:Hi Bradan,
MI would have the data, I know the data was meant t,o be online but I too have not been able to find it.
The Marine Institute dont have the data I have asked.
Thank you for the Ballanahinch figures. Have you got the figures for the Gowla river that also runs into Beirteraghbui bay? There should surely be an increase in returns there similar to the other fisheries in such a small bay. AS I have said before I have found the figures for all the rivers in Ireland from about 1980 to 2003.
As its copyrighted can the MODS let me know if I can refer a link here to it?. That way everyone can get all the data available and make up their own minds instead of biased opinions.
The Gowla fishery was closed in the early 90s and has not been fished since, so there is no angling data. The only data I've seen is trap returns for the last 4 years - the trap has only been operated for that period, it was installed as part of the SUMBAWS project.
2005 - 20
2006 - 17
2007 - 277
2008 - 292
Caz-Galway wrote:Also Bradan your quote from 1 paper is again only giving one brief snapshot and not the whole picture. (Does not say what species of lice, time of year, randomness of catch effort, were the fish tested for other diseases/pathogens etc)
It would be ridiculous to have the whole paper quoted verbatim. Of course I quoted only a small part - the abstract, which anyone who reads scientific papers would know is the main summary. I also posted a link to the PDF so you, or anyone else, could read the rest of the paper and maybe not have to ask these questions here.
Caz-Galway wrote:Joyster is on the other side of the fence but in fairness all he has asked for is the same as I have asked for. ALL the data to be available to all the people to make up thier own minds. Lice levels on farms are published every year and are monitored by the MI and the WRFB. Getting returns from fisheries for fish counters anging returns and Catch per unit effort (CPUE) are very difficult. I am not even going to get into sheep levels on hills, increase in forestry, better fishery management etc.etc. that all have an effect on catchment areas.
Come on Bradan. If you have access to this data tell us where we can find it.
The fish counters were managed by the MI for all but the last couple of years, since then the number of counters and standard of maintenance has been hugely increased, I don't know why the figures aren't available either, ask the MI what they've done with them. I have access to very limited data in my job, but I can still read scientific papers and understand their findings.
For a review paper the authors really leave it up to the reader to make up their own mind, they don't draw any firm conclusion. Plenty of papers quoted backing up the argument against salmon farming in inshore areas though. The authors do a lot of dithering but fail to quote any papers that I can see that disprove the link.
While sea trout are not a protected species under the Directive, salmon are an Annex II species, and since salmon smolts are also being affected hopefully the Commission will rule against Ireland on this matter too.
If they do rule against Ireland whats to stop salmon being totally protected and a ban on salmon angling totally? I am being very serious.
Caz[/quote]
They have already ruled against Ireland under the Habitats Directive for mixed-stock fisheries for salmon, and didn't insist on no angling - why should angling suffer now for the wrongs of fish farming when they didn't cause the problem. Salmon anglers have taken their share of the pain with reduced quotas, closed rivers, etc for a problem they didn't cause.
Now how about you guys on the other side of the dabate answer a few questions?
Do you serioulsy contend that salmon farming is not reponsible for the collapse in sea trout stocks in Connemara?
Do you simply not believe scientific research proving the link, or choose to ignore it? Can you provide any scientific evidence that salmon farming is not responsible?
As current salmon farming industry practice is clearly not working to protect wild stocks, what do you see as the way forward? (Keeping the status quo is not an option)
Its called fishing, not catching. If it was called catching it wouldn't be fishing!
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