Details for second online lottery for ‘Brown Tags’ on Lower River Lee in Cork

38 ‘brown tags’ for the Lower River Lee will be issued on Monday, 11th April and the deadline to enter online lottery is midnight on Friday, April 8th 2022.

Background

To boost conservation efforts, anglers who wish to catch and keep wild salmon from the Lower River Lee in Cork this year, are being reminded by Inland Fisheries Ireland that ‘brown tag’ regulations are in force until the season closes on 30th September, 2022.

The measures are included in the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations, signed into law by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, T.D.

Under brown tag regulations, an angler who wishes to ‘harvest’ a wild salmon i.e., take or keep it, must attach a brown tag as well as a standard blue tag to the fish. To help conserve stocks of wild salmon within the Lower River Lee, No. 5 or Cork District, a total of 152 brown tags will be available for the season and will be distributed to anglers with a valid 2022 rod licence through a series of four online lotteries.

Up to a quarter of the available number of brown tags can be issued at one time, under the Wild Salmon and Seatrout Tagging Scheme Regulations. In the first online lottery which took place in January this year, 38 brown tags were issued to anglers. On Monday, April 11th 22, a further 38 tags will be issued.

How to apply

Any anglers that are interested in entering the draw on Monday 11th April, 2022 are being asked to email their request to Inland Fisheries Ireland at: 2022corkleebrowntag@fisheriesireland.ie between Friday, March 25th 2022 and Friday, April 8th 2022 only.

Within this email, anglers must provide their name, contact address, contact telephone number and they must also quote their 2022 Salmon Licence number (including letter prefix). Only one entry is permitted per licence holder into the draw.

Anglers who received a tag in the last draw are only permitted to enter this draw if they have used their tag.  Evidence of using the tag must accompany the angler’s entry to this draw in the form of a photo of the salmon double tagged and evidence of the entry of the fish caught in their angler’s logbook.

Anglers with a 2022 rod licence who are not allocated a brown tag are only permitted to fish for salmon on a ‘catch and release’ basis on the Lower River Lee, where the salmon is returned safely to the same waterbody.

Further details are available from the Inland Fisheries Ireland’s website at www.fisheriesireland.ie or by phoning its Macroom office on (026) 41221.

****Full Notice****

Salmon Anglers – Lower River Lee, No. 5 or Cork District: Brown Tags Required

Salmon anglers are reminded that from 1st February 2022 to midnight of 30th September 2022, Brown Tag regulations will be in force on the Lower River Lee.

152 Brown Tags are available for the season and distribution of these brown tags will be by four electronic lotteries throughout the 2022 angling season.

The Wild Salmon and Seatrout Tagging Scheme Regulations permit a maximum of 25% of the available tags to be issued at one time. IFI will therefore select 38 anglers to receive a brown tag in the second draw of the season on Monday 11th April, 2022.

Any angler requesting a brown tag must be in possession of a valid 2022 Salmon Licence and must apply by email only to: 2022corkleebrowntag@fisheriesireland.ie by midnight on Friday, 8th April 2022.

Anglers must provide their Name, Contact Address, Telephone Number and 2022 Salmon Licence number including letter prefix (A, B or P). This is the only method to apply for a brown tag.  Anglers may only fish one brown tag over the full season. Multiple applications will disqualify. Salmon Licences are available online at: https://store.fishinginireland.info

Salmon anglers not in possession of a Brown Tag must fish using Catch and Release methods i.e., single or double barbless hooks. Use of worms is not permitted. A Salmon cannot be taken unless the angler is in possession of a Brown Tag. If a Salmon is taken both a Blue and Brown Tag must be affixed to the fish. Failure to do so may result in penalties.  Catch details must be recorded on the Anglers Logbook promptly.

IFI will send all applicants an entry number for the lottery by email during the course of Saturday, 9th April, 2022, before the draw which will take place at 09:30 on Monday 11th April,  2022. No personal information will be shared.  10 reserve licence numbers will be drawn in case the initial offer of a brown tag is not taken up. Tags will be issued to successful applicants by post.

Application may be made between Friday 25th March, 2022 and Friday 8th April 2022 to: 2022corkleebrowntag@fisheriesireland.ie  Late or early applications will be instantly excluded as well as incomplete applications being excluded.

For further information contact Inland Fisheries Ireland, Macroom on 026 41221.

Information about angling quotas

Quotas for how many fish an angler can catch and keep (harvested) are set by Fisheries Managers every year, on the basis of scientific advice.

These quotas reflect the ‘exploitable surplus’ in any river, as follows:

1. In cases where the exploitable surplus cannot sustain angling, that particular fishery is closed for the season.

2. Where it can sustain angling, but not exploitation (harvesting the fish for consumption), the river is opened on a ‘catch and release only’ basis where the fish is returned safely to the same waterbody.

3. Where there is a modest harvestable surplus with a risk of over exploitation, a brown gill tag system is introduced where it is considered necessary in the interests of conserving stocks to closely monitor the angling quotas. This is to ensure that river-based quotas are not exceeded.  Where these restrictions apply, you must be in possession of a brown tag specific to that river to harvest salmon, to be used in conjunction with a blue tag.  Similar to blue tags, brown tags issued contain a unique serial number specific to that licence holder and are not transferable between licence holders.   

4. And finally, where there is an adequate exploitable surplus, the river is opened with the standard 10 tag allocation issued in lots of 3 or 4