Man convicted for fishing offences in County Clare

Press release - Friday, 29th April 2016

I
Illegally caught pike

At a sitting of Ennis District Court on April 26th 2016, Judge Aonghus McCarthy convicted a man for breaches of the Conservation of Pike Bye-law 809, 2006. Mr Andrezej Marek Kiprowski of Liscannor, Co. Clare, pleaded guilty and was fined €600 for the offences and a further €600 in legal costs.

Judge McCarthy heard evidence outlined by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) fisheries officers relating to a fisheries patrol on 28th July 2015 near Inagh, Co. Clare. Four pike were seized, three of which measured over the size limit. Mr Kiprowski co-operated fully with officers on the day. Under the Pike Bye-law it is an offence to have more than one pike in one’s possession and it is also an offence to have a pike greater than 50 centimetres in one’s possession.

Dr Ciaran Byrne, CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland, said: “IFI has invested significant resources in developing the pike and coarse fishing in these catchments in County Clare. Ireland’s best pike fisheries regularly produce pike over 20 pounds (9.072 kilograms) and several over 30 pounds (13.6 kilograms). There are also hundreds of smaller pike fisheries in easily reached locations which anglers can enjoy. Pike angling is worth an estimated €102 million annually to the Irish economy and supports over 1,100 jobs primarily in rural locations”.

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has a confidential hotline number to enable members of the general public to report incidents - 1890 34 74 24 or 1890 FISH 24. This phone line is designed to encourage the reporting of incidents of illegal fishing, water pollution and invasive species.

For more information, visit www.fisheriesireland.ie.

ENDS

Further Information:

Suzanne Campion
Head of Business Development
Inland Fisheries Ireland
Anglesea Street,
Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.

Tel: 052 6180055 Fax: 052 6123971
Email: suzanne.campion@fisheriesireland.ie Website: www.fisheriesireland.ie

Note for Editors

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

IFI has recently confirmed that it is in the process of reviewing the national policies for the management of bass, pike and trout. An important element of each review will be a public consultation process which will be announced later in 2016. The consultations will ensure that anglers and other stakeholders have sufficient time to consider the existing policies and make submissions that will inform their review. Full details are available here: http://www.fisheriesireland.ie/Press-releases/ifi-undertaking-review-of-bass-pike-and-trout-policies.html

Further information on the great pike waters of Ireland is available here: http://www.fishinginireland.info/pike/where_to_fish.htm