WILD SALMON & SEA TROUT STATISTICS 2008
The total number of salmon ‘harvested’ by commercial and recreational fishermen in 2008 was 31,118. This represents a drop of 88% in the total number of salmon harvested from 2001 to 2008 and an increase of10% since 2007.
The 2008 commercial catch was 8,962 salmon and sea trout (over 40 cm). This was 48.2% below the Total Allowable Catch allocated to the sector. The biggest landings of salmon were in County Kerry on the River Laune with 20% of the commercial catch, in County Mayo on the Owenmore River with 14.6% of the commercial catch and in County Limerick on the River Feale 10% of the commercial catch respectively.
The reported salmon angling catch (including salmon caught and released) was 31,457 in 2008 an increase of 6.51% on the 2007 season. Approximately 16% of the reported national angling catch was taken on the Moy River system. Catch and release figures show that 38% of all salmon caught were released, a decrease of 6% on the 2007 figures. A total of 20,061 salmon rod licences were sold in 2008, representing anglers from fifty different countries. The logbook return rate was 69% an increase of 4% on 2007 figures. 62% of anglers were from the Republic of Ireland, 12% from Northern Ireland and 14% from the UK.
2008 witnessed a quite consistent share of the salmon harvest as between that of the recreational anglers and the commercial fishermen when compared to 2007. Anglers took 71.4% of salmon, and draft nets account for the balance of 28.6% of the salmon harvest. The percentage of the total salmon harvested by recreational anglers has increased from 10% in 2001 (26,074) to 71.4% in 2008 (22,215). Over the same period the percentage of the total salmon harvest by commercial fishermen has decreased from 90% in 2001 (233,401) to 28.6% in 2008 (8,903).
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