by Paul O’Malley
Salmon angling on the Moy Fishery in Ballina remains suspended due to the prolonged dry and warm weather over the past few weeks.
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) took the unusual step last week of halting angling on the world-famous fishery after water temperatures exceeded 20 degrees celsius over a 48-hour period. A suspension was also put in place at the Salmon Weir in Galway City.
It is the second time in less than 12 months that angling has been stopped at the Moy Fishery due to high water temperatures with a similar occurrence last August after an extended period of warm weather.
An IFI spokesperson said that freshwater fish species occupying these waters, such as salmon and trout, can suffer ‘thermal stress’ arising from the impact of adverse warm weather on them.
This can lead to fish kill due to the reduced level of oxygen in the water.
About 37 salmon have been caught this year at the Moy Fishery up to June 4, according to the IFI, while the number at the Salmon Weir in Galway is 43.
The IFI’s weekly angling reports on the River Moy and Moy Estuary showed that the heatwave was already having an impact on catch numbers.
In the week ending May 28, 122 salmon were caught, but this number had almost halved in the seven days to June 4 when just 64 were caught.
The Ballina Salmon Anglers recorded just four grilse caught in this barren week.
Local angler Peter McHugh said activity on the Moy is quiet.
“The river has not been so low for quite some time and there is nobody fishing at the moment,” he said, and that it will take at least three days of rainfall to bring the river back to its normal levels for this time of year.
He said that there is no extended period of rain forecast until the first week in July.
A spokesperson for the IFI said that it is monitoring the situation.
“The closed fisheries are being monitored daily and will reopen when water temperatures remain below 20 degrees Celsius over a consistent number of days.”
The spokesperson said that other State-owned fisheries continue to be monitored and will be closed if they meet the threshold where a fishing ban must be enforced.