Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 22 Oct 1980

Vol. 323 No. 4

Written Answers . - Erne Fish Pass .

370.

Mr. Blaney

asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the number of salmon that have gone up the fish pass this year at the Erne hydro-electric station, on what days did the fish travel; and whether it is a restriction of the fish pass or fishing outside the estuary that has caused a reduction in the number of fish going up river.

Minister for Fisheries and Forestry (Mr. Power)

: The number of salmon recorded as having passed through the fish pass at the hydro-electric station on the River Erne in 1980 are as follows:—

433—Total to 3/10/80.

Date	No. of Salmon
April
17	1
29	1
30	1
May
4	1
5	1
6	1
9	1
17	4
18	7
20	3
21	2
23	1
24	1
25	1
27	1
29	1
30	2
31	3
June
1	5
2	1
4	4
June
5	4
6	4
7	2
8	1
9	4
10	4
11	5
12	6
13	2
14	7
15	9
16	14
19	9
20	9
21	7
23	7
24	16
25	27
26	25
27	10
28	10
29	7
30	36
July
1	9
2	11
3	8
4	0
5	8
6	20
11	1
15	1
16	1
18	1
19	2
20	1
22	5
23	3
24	7
28	1
August
3	5
5	1
7	2
8	3
9	3
11	3
13	5
14	1
15	2
20	3
21	1
22	2
23	1
24	3
26	1
30	1
31	3
September
1	1
2	1
3	6
4	5
5	7
6	1
9	1
11	3
12	1
17	3
19	4
22	1
23	1
26	2
30	1

The fish counter was removed during week ended 3 October 1980 for repair.

There has been a serious decline in salmon stocks in many of our rivers in recent years. In the case of the River Erne it is considered that the decline is due to overfishing and to UDN disease. The results of salmon tagging experiments indicate that some of the salmon taken by nets along the County Donegal coast are destined for the River Erne.