Great Western Lakes public consultation in Sligo under way

A PUBLIC consultation on the longterm management of the Great Western Lakes which includes Lough Arrow in Sligo, has begun. Covering Lough Arrow (in Sligo and Roscommon), Lough Sheelin (in Cavan, Meath and Westmeath), Lough Corrib and Lough Mask (in Galway and Mayo) and Lough Carra, Lough Conn and Lough Cullin (in Mayo), the draft plan aims to address some of the many factors that impact on the ecological well-being and status of native fish stocks. Inland Fisheries Ireland is urging the Sligo public, especially the angling community and anyone who uses the lakes, or lives near them, to make a submission.

The lakes have long-been designated, as a matter of policy, to be managed primarily as wild brown trout waters. Therefore, the proposed management programmes for these lakes, as set out in the draft plan, will protect, conserve and, where possible, enhance the lakes’ natural attributes and native biodiversity. In turn, this would optimise the lakes’ potential as sustainable wild brown trout fisheries and, in some cases, Atlantic salmon fisheries. Other species such as eels, Arctic char and Ferox trout are also reflected in the draft plan.

Inland Fisheries Ireland is the state agency responsible for the protection, conservation and management of the inland fisheries resource and it has developed a draft plan for the long-term management of seven lakes.

Speaking at the start of the public consultation process, Francis O’Donnell with Inland Fisheries Ireland urged the public to participate by reading the draft plan and making a submission. He said: “It’s clear to see that all seven lakes share a series of pressures which are impacting on their ecosystem stability and native fish stocks. These include declining water quality, fisheries habitat loss, invasive species and the detrimental effects of climate change. These issues will be tackled through the various measures proposed in this draft plan. “That is why the public consultation process is such an incredibly important step, as it gives the Sligo public the perfect opportunity to have their say.”

The draft plan is available from the Inland Fisheries Ireland website at www.fisheriesireland.ie/westernlakesplan or by visiting Inland Fisheries Ireland’s offices in Galway, Ballina, Sheelin or Limerick. The deadline for making a submission is 5pm on Tuesday, September 20, and those wishing to make a submission are being encouraged to use the online questionnaire which will guide them through the headings of the plan. Unfortunately, any submissions received after the deadline has passed cannot be considered.