Salmon Angling Regulations 2008
Includes information on bag limits, mandatory Catch & Release, rivers which are open and closed, gill tags, and returning your completed logbook and unused tags to your Regional Fisheries Board by 19th October of the relevant year.
1. BAG LIMITS
There is an angling bag limit of 10 salmon (any size) or sea trout (over 40 cm) on rivers where you may catch and retain salmon (Table 1). The bag limits are subject to any quota allocated to a river and its tributaries.
Subject to the maximum annual bag limit of ten fish an angler may take:
- A total of one salmon (any size) or sea trout (over 40cm) per day for the period beginning January 1st to May 11th (three fish in total may be retained for this period).
- Daily Bag Limit: Three salmon (any size) or sea trout (over 40cm) per day from May 12th to August 31st.
- Daily Bag Limit: One salmon (any size) or sea trout (over 40cm) per day from 1st September to the close of the season.
After the daily bag limit has been taken, anglers are permitted to fish catch and release, using single barbless hooks and there is a ban on the use of worms.
On rivers where catch and release is permitted (Table 2):
- there is a ban on the use of worms
- anglers must use single barbless hooks
- the fish must be handled carefully and should not be removed from the water prior to release.
On all other rivers (Table 3) angling for salmon (any size) and sea trout (over 40cm) is prohibited.
2. OBTAINING A LICENCE
Anglers can obtain their licence from Regional Fisheries Board headquarters, any rod licence distributor or online at www.salmonlicences.ie. On payment of the rod licence fee, the angler will be given:
- The relevant rod licence.
- A logbook.
- Up to 10 gill tags where an (annual) ordinary, juvenile, or district licence shall be issued.
- 3 gill tags where a twenty one day ordinary licence shall be issued up until 11th May and additional allocations after this date up to a maximum of 10 gill tags in total provided they demonstrate that they have completed their logbook appropriately.
- 1 gill tag where a one day ordinary licence shall be issued up until 11th May, 3 gill tags from 12th May to 31st August and 1 gill tag from 1st Sept to the close of the season.
- A business reply envelope will be provided for return of the logbook and unused tags to the relevant Regional Fisheries Board.
- A plastic wallet for the logbook.
3. THE TAG
The tag to be used by anglers is a blue or brown plastic self-locking device. Each tag is embossed with a code identifying the region (or river and district) in which the tag was issued, the year in which the tag can be used and a tag number.
Fishermen should carefully note the following concerning the use of these tags:
- Each rod licence holder will be issued tags for his/her use only. Tags are not transferable between licence holders.
- These tags shall not be re-used.
- One tag shall be attached to each salmon (any size) and sea trout (over 40 cm) caught and retained.
- Tags must be attached immediately on landing the fish.
- Tags shall be attached through the gill opening and mouth and securely locked around the gill cover.
- Additional tags shall be issued on presentation of logbook information showing that the licence holder has used the gill tags issued to him or her, subject to bag limits.
- Lost and accidentally destroyed tags may be replaced upon presentation of a signed declaration completed by the angler and signed by an Authorised Officer of a Regional Fisheries Board.
- Gill Tags shall only be removed from the fish at the time of processing in accordance with the Tagging Scheme Regulations. For the purposes of this scheme processing includes: smoking, marinating or cooking the fish, gutting and freezing the fish or cutting any steaks, cutlets or portions of the fish.
4. THE LOGBOOK
On receipt of tags the angler will also receive a logbook. Details of the gill tags issued to an angler will be entered into the angler’s logbook by the issuing agent.
Each fisherman shall:
- Have the logbook in his/her possession while fishing for salmon or sea trout.
- Record all details of their catch in their logbook immediately after tagging the fish.
- Make a catch record even if the fish is released.
- Record details of any lost or damaged tags.
- Declare lost or damaged logbooks to the relevant Regional Fisheries Board.
5. RETURNING LOGBOOKS AND UNUSED TAGS
In accordance with the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Regulations anglers are required by law to return their completed logbook (even if there is no catch recorded) and all unused tags to the issuing Regional Fisheries Board by the 19th October of the relevant year. A business reply envelope is provided for this purpose.
Anglers are required to obtain proof of postage and to retain such proof for 12 months.
Anglers are prohibited from selling salmon (any size) or sea trout (any size) caught by rod and line.
These guidelines have been prepared for information purposes only and do not purport to be a legal interpretation. The holder of a rod licence should familiarise himself or herself with Part 3 of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1999 (No. 35 of 1999), the current Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations and the Salmon and Sea Trout Conservation Bye-laws.
On rivers where catch and release is permitted (Table 2):
- there is a ban on the use of worms,
- anglers must use single, barbless hooks,
- the fish must be handled carefully and should not be removed from the water prior to release.
On all other rivers (Table 3) angling for salmon (any size) and sea trout (over 40cm) is prohibited.
Brown gill tags
A system of Brown GILL Tags is in place on certain rivers where it is considered necessary in the interests of conserving salmon stocks to closely monitor the angling quotas to ensure that river based quotas are not exceeded.
Anglers should use a BROWN GILL TAG in addition to their BLUE GILL TAG on the rivers listed below. Please contact the relevant Regional Fishery Board to request information on how to obtain additional BROWN GILL TAGS.
Please note that the daily and annual bag limits still apply.
List of Districts and Rivers to which these Regulations apply from 1 January to 11 May
|
Fishery District |
Rivers |
Tag Code |
|
Cork |
Bandon |
B1 |
List of Districts and Rivers to which these Regulations apply from from 1 January to 30 September
|
Fishery District |
Rivers |
Tag Code |
|
Cork |
Lower Lee |
K2 |
| Ilen | P2 | |
|
Kerry |
Sneem |
F2 |
| Sheen | T2 | |
| Owenmore | S2 |