The battle to save Ireland's wild salmon from poachers notched up a victory in recent days with three men being fined in relation to the illegal capture of 27 salmon and the use of 861 meters of illegal nets off the coast of County Mayo.
Wild Irish salmon stocks have been negatively impacted for decades by poaching. Salmon have been intercepted and illegally caught by poachers before they get a chance to spawn.
The three men were observed by Inland Fisheries Ireland officers setting drift nets from a boat at Porturlin, North Mayo, this according to an IFI release.
Francis O’Donnell, CEO of IFI stated: “The scale of this illegal salmon netting at sea was at a commercial level, and posed a significant threat to our wild Atlantic salmon stocks. It is a serious environmental crime, and such crimes will not be tolerated by IFI.”
IFI officers taking custody of the illegal nets
Mary Walsh, IFI’s Director of the Western River Basin District, Ballina, added: “I commend the coordinated response of our dedicated teams. There were many factors contributing to the success of this operation, including intelligence, leadership, and planning, as well as the availability and use of specialized equipment.”
The three poachers appeared before Belmullet District Court. All three were hit with an array of fines.
The three had thrown the illegal nets, contained in bags, overboard when they were encountered by IFI officers but the nets were subsequently recovered and confiscated by the IFI personnel.
