Report Paul Murphy
A sharp decline in salmon numbers in the Boyne river is a sign of “ecological stress”, the Boyne River Trust said today. A lifelong angler Peter Cunningham recently expressed concern at the sharp decline in the numbers of salmon in the river. The river trust said “widespread ecological stress” was the main actor in the decline and said its “iconic” salmon were among the most visible casualties.
In a statement today the trust said that the salmon was not only a keystone species in ecological terms but also held deep cultural significance in Irish heritage, symbolising most famously in the legend of the Salmon of Knowledge. “Beyond its cultural value, the salmon also supports a once- thriving fishing tourism economy in this region. As stocks decline, angling activity has dropped significantly impacting local businesses in the tourism and hospitality sectors”.
The trust said that marine survival of salmon was at an all-time low and while industrial fishing in the North Atlantic might well be contributing to the unprecedented pressure on wild salmon populations, recent advice e from salmon scientists also identifies degraded freshwater habitats as a key contributing factor. Ireland, France and the UK are highlighted among the regions experiencing
the steepest declines.
According to the rivers trust the causes of salmon decline are broader and more deeply rooted in the health of the river catchment itself and that “urgent management action is needed”. “A proactive, in-river programme designed to buffer against the effects of poor marine survival is a vital component in the maintenance of a viable, self-sustaining population of wild salmon in the
Boyne river and its tributaries.”
The trust said that the Environmental Protection Agency report in May 2024 revealed that more than half of monitored surface waterbodies in the catchment area were now at risk of failing to meet their environmental objectives. The report highlights three pressures – pollution from agriculture, physical changes to river structure, and discharges from wastewater treatment plans and domestic systems.
Meath Live has viewed a post on Facebook by Pat O’Toole highlighting the discharge of sewage into the Blackwater, he said ”absolutely flowing out with raw sewage into the river, the smell of it is disgusting” from a sewage pipe yesterday evening at 8.25 (Thursday 21st August)
The link is; https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1A2ZiQyFLU/?mibextid=wwXIfr
