A peaceful protest against a barbaric, archaic and unnecessary trout fisheries management programme conducted by Irish Government agency Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) where pike are systematically culled from waters designated as “trout fisheries” by gill netting was held on Thursday 24/03/2016 outside IFI’s City West HQ.
Between 150 – 200 concerned stakeholders/anglers turned up to hand in a 23,000 strong online petition to IFI management voicing that the practice be discontinued and that the waters concerned should be managed as the mixed fisheries which they are.
Given that the protest was well flagged, well organised and well attended by an extremely interested and passionate stakeholder grouping it should have been respected by IFI senior management to include CEO Ciaran Byrne and Business Development Manager Suzanne Campion. Sadly both were conspicuous by their absence which again reflects the arrogance of Irish Government, its agencies and institutions, behaviour which Ireland’s citizens have gotten so used to and tired of over the last number of years.
There are major problems in how Ireland’s fisheries resources both marine and freshwater are managed, the evidence of decline all too apparent especially if you are my age of 55 and have rod and line fished Ireland’s waters for forty years. Does the management of Inland Fisheries Ireland know best? Their apparent refusal to meet with concerned stakeholders including a potential future angler, my grandson pictured above and receive in person the signatures of 23,000 more equally concerned stakeholders tells its own story.
It is encumbent on IFI management to understand that they hold a privileged position which many Irish people with a passion for fisheries would give their eye teeth for and also that they serve the concerned citizenry they ignored so visibly. Next time and there will be a next time they should show their mettle and step up to the plate, as Bill Clinton might have said, it’s about the resource stupid!………..
See also: Misconceptions on a Cull.
