Habitats & Conservation Funding Call 2025

Since 2016, a value in excess of €7 million has been awarded by Inland Fisheries Ireland to over 312 projects across the country.

Inland Fisheries Ireland has activated the Habitats and Conservation Funding Call for 2025. Grant funding is available to Inland Fisheries Ireland and to eligible third parties throughout the Republic of Ireland to support sustainable fisheries habitats and conservation. The fund is made up from licence and permit contributions.

Habitats & Conservation Fund

The Habitats and Conservation Funding Call 2025 includes the following schemes:

Midlands Fisheries Fund (MFF): €75,000

This scheme focuses on sustainable development works in the midland fisheries permit area. The fund has been created through contributions from the permit income received via the Midlands Fisheries Group permit. Projects which will be eligible to receive support will improve fish habitats in a sustainable manner (e.g. habitat enhancement, control of exotic species etc.). New to the fund this year will be funding for projects that will benefit anglers and promote angling.

Salmon and Sea Trout Rehabilitation, Conservation and Protection Fund (SSTRCPF) €1,000,000

The aim of this fund is to rehabilitate, protect and conserve Salmon and Sea Trout and their habitats. This year, funding will be available for habitat rehabilitation and conservation projects only (e.g. spawning enhancement, instream and bank protection, fencing, the removal and control of invasive species, etc.). For more information about the Habitats and Conservation Funding Call 2024, an information booklet is available for download:

Please see the video below for details of the funds and some ideas for habitat restoration projects.

As part of a new two-step process, all applicants must firstly complete an ‘Expression of Interest’ application on Inland Fisheries Ireland’s online grant management portal before 4:00pm on Friday, December 13th 2023. After the expression of interest has been completed, full applications must then be submitted to Inland Fisheries Ireland via the online grant management portal by 5:30pm on Thursday, January 30th, 2025.

Key Dates

The following timeline will be in place for the duration of the 2025 call:

• Completed EOI’s can only transfer to full applications until the 13th of December, No EOI's will be accepted for 2025 funding after this date
• Full applications must be developed from the EOI and submitted before 17:30 pm on 30th January 2025
• Decisions on applications and grants will be announced in May 2025

If you are interested in applying for IFI funding it is advised to contact your local IFI office to discuss the most appropriate options. Applicants must complete an EOI on IFI’s grants management portal, a process which is open on a continuous basis all year round. The portal can be accessed by following the link below. Once the EOI is successfully completed, applicants can further develop their application on the grants management portal through appropriate engagement with IFI and specific requirements to your proposal. EOI’s are invited from angling clubs, fishery owners, local development associations, local authorities, tidy towns and others who may be looking to carry out relevant projects. A list of projects is provided below as a guideline.

Types of projects that can be considered trough the EOI process are but not limited to:

• Spawning enhancement (addition/raking of gravel or cleaning of existing substrates).
• Fencing (protection of river banks including fences, stiles, cattle drinkers, etc.).
• Riparian zone improvement (selective tree pruning and strategic tree planting).
• Removal/control of aquatic invasive species (e.g. Asian Clam, Chub, etc.).
• In-stream structures (weirs, deflectors, rubble mats, random boulders, etc.).
• River Bank protection (soft engineering measures, log revetments, etc.).
• Feasibility studies/development plans which lead to future projects under the above headings. To a maximum of 80% funding or €5,000 whichever is less).
• Appropriate Assessment screening/other environmental reports for projects conserving Salmon/Sea trout may be funded to a maximum of €5,000.
• Research to evaluate proposed river/habitat rehabilitation efficacy.
• Assessment of status, monitoring of outcomes, funds will be available that will aid in the assessment of the status of either the salmon or sea trout stocks in threatened rivers and water bodies.
• The outline design of Fish passage improvement.
• Provision of match funding to OPW/Local Authorities etc., where the objectives of the project satisfy the objectives of the Salmon and Sea trout scheme and governance, liability is assumed by the lead agency.
• Projects that are of benefit to the Midland lakes anglers.
• Angling promotion in the Midland lakes.