Man convicted of illegally netting salmon on the River Nore
Netting and salmon illegally captured on River Nore
INLAND Fisheries Ireland (IFI) secured a conviction against a man for illegally netting salmon on the River Nore at Kilkenny District Court on 22 October.
Francis Kennedy of Oaklawns, Paulstown, Co. Kilkenny was accused of unlawfully capturing salmon on 30 June which took place at a catch-and-release fishery at Clonamery, Co. Kilkenny.
Mr Kennedy was found to have two wild Atlantic salmon in his possession.
The defendant was fined €300 and instructed to pay €400 in legal costs to IFI.
South-Eastern Regional Director of IFI Lynda Connor said: “I commend our Fisheries Officers’ perseverance and continuous commitment to protecting the State’s endangered natural resources.
“This conviction highlights the ongoing issue of illegal netting for salmon, and IFI’s zero tolerance of this behaviour.
“Wild salmon numbers returning to Ireland have declined from approximately 1.76 million in 1975 to 171,700 in 2022. This is a catastrophic decrease in less than one generation.”
She said the IFI is urging people to report illegal fishing, habitat destruction, water pollution, fish kills, or issues of concern in their local rivers/lakes to its confidential 24/7 number 081 8 34 74 24.
