There are currently 19 locations with 21 operational fish counters in Irish Rivers including ESB owned and operated counters and Loughs Agency counters. Many of the counters were installed under the Tourism Operational Programme (TOP) of the Tourism Angling Measure (TAM) which occurred between 1995 and 2000. A number of counters purchased under this programme were subsequently installed between 2000 and 2005. Some have been in operation in one form or another prior to 1995 (ESB counters, Loughs Agency at Sion Mills, Blackwater counter). Since 2000, there has been considerable upgrading and ongoing improvements and maintenance on these counters.
Monitoring of counters is site dependent but usually Regional Fishery Board staff provide regular inspection (at least twice per week) to clean fish passes, scrub infra-red plates, brush electrodes and other standard maintenance if required. If water conditions are very high this may be carried out daily. More technical maintenance (e.g. replacement or upgrading of components, electronic failure etc) is carried out by the Marine Institute or by way of sub-contract and occurs when reported and when resources are available to deal with the specific problem.
Standard information on upstream and downstream counts is available as well as relative size of the fish, dates and times of fish movement. In some instances counts are verified with video surveillance and supplementary information is therefore available on species (salmon vs. sea trout or eels). Depending on the size of the river and the number of main tributaries, several counters may be used to provide a definitive count of all of the potential stocks components entering the main system as these can differ in terms of run timing, ration of 1 sea winter to multi sea winter salmon etc. However, a single strategically placed counter provides a useable index of the size of the salmon stock for routine management purposes.
I have set out three tables, the first of which lists the rivers where counters are installed and can provide information for national assessments. The second table consists of rivers above conservation limit with no fish counter and the third table consists of rivers below the conservation limit with no fish counter.
There has been a considerable investment in the National Fish Counter Programme over the past number of years. As the Deputy may be aware it was decided in June 2003 that the management of all of the existing counters be transferred to the relevant Regional Fisheries Boards and it is a matter for each Board to decide on its priorities in relation to investment in counters within their overall allocation of Exchequer funding for capital and current purposes.
In so far as real time monitoring and management of stocks is concerned, counters are only one method by which the assessment is made. Reliance is also placed on the expert analysis of catch data and surveys by fisheries officers and research officers of spawning areas, fish populations and habitat etc.
Table 1. The location of rivers and specification of each counter
River
|
District
|
Type
|
Slaney
|
Wexford
|
Resistivity
|
Eanymore
|
Ballyshannon
|
Resistivity
|
Eske
|
Ballyshannon
|
Resistivity
|
Cork Blackwater
|
Lismore
|
Resistivity
|
Blackwater (Kerry)
|
Kerry
|
Resistivity
|
Waterville
|
Kerry
|
Resistivity
|
Casla
|
Connemara
|
Resistivity
|
Ballisadare
|
Sligo
|
Infra-red
|
Feale
|
Limerick
|
Resistivity
|
Bandon
|
Cork
|
Infra-red
|
Erriff
|
Ballinakill
|
Resistivity
|
Boyne
|
Drogheda
|
Resistivity/Infra-red
|
Liffey x 2
|
Dublin
|
Resistivity/Infra-red
|
Muinghin
|
Bangor
|
Resistivity
|
Erne x 3 (ESB)
|
Ballyshannon
|
Resistivity/Infra-red
|
Shannon (ESB)
|
Shannon
|
Resistivity
|
Lee (ESB)
|
Cork
|
Resistivity
|
Clady (ESB)
|
Letterkenny
|
Resistivity
|
Foyle (Loughs Agency) × 3
|
Foyle
|
Resistivity
|
Table 2. Rivers above the Conservation Limit with no fish counter
River
|
District
|
Castletown
|
Dundalk
|
Fane
|
Dundalk
|
Black Water
|
Waterford
|
Owenacurra
|
Cork
|
Lower Lee (Martin, Shornach, Bride)
|
Cork
|
Llen
|
Cork
|
Mealagh
|
Cork
|
Coomhola
|
Cork
|
Roughty
|
Kerry
|
Sneem
|
Kerry
|
Caragh
|
Kerry
|
Laune
|
Kerry
|
Bundorragha
|
Ballinakill
|
Owenglin (Clifden)
|
Ballinakill
|
Owenduff (Glenamong)
|
Bangor
|
Easky
|
Ballina
|
Drumcliff
|
Sligo
|
Duff
|
Ballyshannon
|
Drowes
|
Ballyshannon
|
Glen
|
Ballyshannon
|
Owenea
|
Letterkenny
|
Gweebarra
|
Letterkenny
|
Tullaghobegly
|
Letterkenny
|
Crana
|
Letterkenny
|
Table 3. Rivers below the Conservation Limit with no fish counter
River
|
District
|
Glyde
|
Dundalk
|
Dargle
|
Dublin
|
Barrow
|
Waterford
|
Nore
|
Waterford
|
Suir
|
Waterford
|
Colligan
|
Waterford
|
Bride
|
Lismore
|
Glengarriff
|
Cork
|
Croanshagh (Glanmore R. and L.)
|
Kerry
|
Sheen
|
Kerry
|
Inney
|
Kerry
|
Maine
|
Kerry
|
Fergus
|
Limerick
|
Dawros
|
Ballinakill
|
Culfin
|
Ballinakill
|
Carrownisky
|
Ballinakill
|
Owenwee (Belclare)
|
Ballinakill
|
Newport R. (Lough Beltra)
|
Bangor
|
Glenamoy
|
Bangor
|
Cloonaghmore (Palmerstown)
|
Ballina
|
Gweedore (Crolly R.)
|
Letterkenny
|
Ray
|
Letterkenny
|
Lackagh
|
Letterkenny
|
Leannan
|
Letterkenny
|