Junior Fishing Clubs and Youth Groups announced finalists in film competition

Thursday, 3rd August 2017: Four fishing clubs have been announced finalists in Inland Fisheries Ireland’s Fish & Film Competition. The competition, which was launched in June to encourage young people to spread the word about fishing, asked entrants to take film footage of their fishing adventures which could later be promoted online.

Junior members of Ballyshannon and District Angling Association (Co. Donegal), Newport Sea Angling Club (Co. Mayo), Whitelake Angling Club (Co. Westmeath) and Sphere 17 Youthgroup (Darndale, Dublin 17) submitted entries which are being showcased online. The clubs will now progress to the next stage of the competition.

Ballyshannon and District Angling Association’s film entry focused on a Junior Fishing Day, held at Lough Unshin while Whitelake Angling Club’s submission shows a couple of young fishing enthusiasts enjoying a quiet day’s fishing and presenting the viewer with their angling skills. Meanwhile, Newport Sea Angling Club’s entry highlighted the club’s recent National Junior Competition / Daniel Peacock Memorial event held in July and shows the excitement of a real competition day and Sphere 17 from Darndale take viewers on a sea angling trip to Ireland’s Eye.

The clubs are now appealing to the public to watch and share their film entries which can be found at www.fisheriesireland.ie/fishandfilm. The finalists will go forward to a junior fishing competition where they will compete against other entrants to be in with a chance of winning the top prize of €1,000 fishing tackle voucher for their club or one of the €250 runner up prizes which are also up for grabs.

Suzanne Campion, Head of Business Development at Inland Fisheries Ireland said: “It is fantastic to hear from the next generation of anglers to find out more about what drives them to keep up fishing. These entries really give a taste of what fishing is all about for junior anglers - I would like to commend them on their fantastic entries and wish them the best of luck at the next stage of the competition which sees them enjoying a free day’s fishing.”

The Fish & Film competition supports the objectives of Inland Fisheries Ireland’s National Strategy for Angling Development which aims to make angling accessible and attractive to all while establishing it as a key leisure pursuit. There are currently 273,000 domestic anglers in Ireland and Inland Fisheries Ireland aims to grow participation rates by 0.5% annually.

For more information on the competition and to view the finalist’s entries, visit www.fisheriesireland.ie/fishandfilm.

ENDS

For further information:

Órla Sheils

Communications Manager

Tel: (01) 8842673

E: orla.sheils@fisheriesireland.ie

About Inland Fisheries Ireland

Inland Fisheries Ireland is a statutory body operating under the aegis of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (DCCAE) and was established under the Fisheries Act on 1st July 2010. Its principal function is the protection and conservation of the inland fisheries resource. Inland Fisheries Ireland promotes, supports, facilitates and advises the Minister on the conservation, protection, management, development and improvement of inland fisheries, including sea angling. Inland Fisheries Ireland also develops policy and national strategies relating to inland fisheries and sea angling and advises the Minister on same.