DR CIARAN BYRNE of Inland Fisheries Ireland says wild salmon numbers have been decreasing in recent years.
It’s one of the reasons why fishing organisations from across the North Atlantic have teamed up to declare 2019 the International Year of the Salmon as they hope to raise awareness about the decline in numbers.
Byrne says the Irish PFA (Pre Fishery Abundance) data from the 1970s had wild salmon numbers at 1.7 million. Last year, corresponding figures were between 250,000 and 350,000 fish.
From fishing practices to ocean pollution and climate change, Byrne says there are a number of reasons why the numbers are going down – and why it’s important now to act.
“It’s really now time that we take action,” he says. “That we really look at our salmon policies… to improve the survival of salmon.”
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