Minister O’ Dowd goes fishing for anglers in Clermont Ferrand, France

Press release 06/02/14

Minister Fergus O’ Dowd attended the Salon de la Pêche at Clermont Ferrand last weekend. The Minister lent his support to Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), The Loughs Agency and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Northern Ireland (DCAL) and industry partners in promoting the island of Ireland an as an angling destination. The Clermont Ferrand show, now celebrating its 25th anniversary, is the largest angling show in France and attracts 30,000 visitors annually.

Dr Ciaran Byrne, CEO IFI, François CLERMONT, delegate director of Centre France Evénements, Minister Fergus O'Dowd, Claude Rostan,President of the Federation Nationale de la Pêche en France, Alain PACI, President of Europêche, Clement Posada

For the first time the three agencies came together under the ‘Angling in Ireland’ or ‘Pêche en Irlande’ banner and hosted angling industry partners in a coordinated approach to attract greater numbers of French anglers to Ireland.

Minister Fergus O’Dowd accompanied by the CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland, Dr Ciaran Byrne were welcomed to the show by the Manager, Mon. Clement Posada who hosted a lunch for the guests, sponsors and various national presidents of the main French angling federations. The President of the National Federation of Angling in France, Mon. Claude Roustan welcomed the Minister and announced that they were honored by the visit from Ireland where he himself had enjoyed many wonderful angling holidays.

The Minister welcomed the close ties between French anglers and Ireland. He stated that ‘some of the best of Ireland’s angling products are being promoted here today. It is our intention to attract more French anglers to come to Ireland to enjoy the wonderful fishing , scenery and hospitality that Ireland has to offer’. Commending the joint approach of IFI, DCAL and the Loughs Agency he noted ‘both Minister O Chuilin and I are delighted to see this whole of Ireland approach to angling marketing and we look forward to increased tourism angling and the associated economic benefits which will undoubtedly follow’.

Referring to the recent Socio-economic Study of Recreational Angling in Ireland Dr Ciaran Byrne commented that ‘angling is worth in excess of €750 million to the Irish economy. I would like to thank the many French anglers that return to Ireland regularly to enjoy their sport and of course the Irish welcome, we look forward to welcoming you and all of your friends again in the future’.

The Minister and the CEO went on to give an interview to a local journalist and were welcomed onto the Irish stand by the industry partners. They also visited many stands at this very busy show seeing young anglers catching fish in an indoor tank and a number of boat and angling stands. The visit provided a great boost to the presence of the Irish stand bringing in much needed angling business to all parts of Ireland.

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Media Enquiries

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

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. It also develops and advises the Minister on policy and national strategies relating to inland fisheries and sea angling. www.fisheriesireland.ie