Federation of Irish Salmon & Sea Trout Anglers

01/09/2026

Getting the heavy hand of the state Ifi to interfere with angling once again that kills the season a month earlier than normal. Lord, forgive them, for although, they get paid by our rod license revenue, they know not what they do. So sad.

Foxford Salmon Anglers - River Moy
Angling report – No.22 for W/ending Sunday
30th August 2026

The River finally starting to lift and the last chance to catch a Salmon - We had 9 reported for the week. It's not the Salmon that are in short supply, it's the Anglers. It's been a funny old season, no water for most of it - and a river full of Salmon that has been reported as the best run in a number of years. Still nature will take its course and we have a state agency implementing a compulsory catch and release policy for September - which has devastated the Moy Valley, Hotels, Accommodation, Restaurants, Bars and Big and small business.
A Voluntary catch and release would have had the same effect BUT it wouldn't have chased the Anglers or closed the businesses. Allowing the Angler to have the choice would have made the difference. A LIKE & SHARE would be nice. Tight Lines.

30/08/2026

Fish kill on the Crana. Thanks to Councillor Joy Beard for pointing out the realities of Ifi protocol that does not help matters one bit.

30/08/2026

These pictures were taken up around back shore newtowncunningham just up from the gates to fresh water side. Thanks to Cllr Beard for update.

30/08/2026

Yet another fish kill this time in the Crana River Buncrana Inis Eoghan. Donegal.

A Donegal County Councillor has expressed deep concern following the discovery of a fish kill on the Crana River in the Illies area outside Buncrana, where 150 juvenile salmon were found dead late Friday afternoon.

Cllr Joy Beard of the 100% Redress Party thanked the Buncrana Angling Association for alerting her to the incident and for their continued vigilance in protecting the river.

Read:

150 juvenile salmon were found dead late Friday afternoon

22/08/2026

It’s been one year since our River Blackwater suffered the largest fishkill in Ireland with over 50,000 fish gone belly up from a pollution crime. The Ifi Director Sean Long whose responsibility it was to investigate was found wanting and told us there was no culprit to be found “there was NO smoking gun”. Since then nothing has changed and the eventual protocol published just meant that the inter agencies failure to communicate will not happen in the future because the email will be copied around a bit more. However, no cooperative action will be taken as the recent Glyde fish kill in June has already proven. We copy Deputy Whitmores summary to show the problems with water quality still exist and the EPA still write discharge licenses for the “acceptable levels” the polluters put legally into our rivers. Fissta are taking legal action against those responsible but the courts system is a slow process.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Db6W8CzIwY3/?igsi=MXVqaDZ0NXVjenV4OQ==

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Db6W8CzIwY3/?igsi=MXVqaDZ0NXVjenV4OQ==

22/08/2026

We copy you Jennifer Whitmore’s post as a summary of what happened this time last year. It’s been one year to the day when over 50,000 fish from the River Blackwater were killed in the country’s largest pollution accident which no culprit has been identified and will not now as Ifi under Director Sean Long was found wanting in their duties once again. But that has never been acceptable to FISSTA who have initiated legal action to force the EPA to do their job. EPA must cease issuing these discharge licenses that pollute the river legally. The response of government to publish a new protocol is a cop out. This new protocol as Whitmore says should have already been in place but sadly was not. It now says Ifi will improve communication by copying the pollution warning email to other agencies if such another pollution disaster occurs. This is completely inadequate and the Glyde pollution incident in June proves this.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Db6W8CzIwY3/?igsi=MXVqaDZ0NXVjenV4OQ==

12/08/2026

Please ban salmon farming in Ireland ...and Iceland, Norway, Faroe Islands, Denmark, Scotland etc.

12/08/2026

And what’s more crazy is that the baby salmon or migrating wild Atlantic smolts are infested by sea-lice emanating from salmon farm cages that kill all before them including shellfish.

12/08/2026

FISSTA MEMBERS ARE RAGING WITH DAFM MINISTER HEYDON AND DOOLEY ONCE AGAIN TO SIGN LICENSES FOR THESE SALMON CAGES UNCONDITIONALLY- APART FROM DONATIONS TO THEIR POLITICAL PARTIES.

YET ANOTHER ESCAPEMENT OF FARMED SALMON OFF THE WEST COAST OF IRELAND THAT WILL GO UNPUNISHED AND FOR WHICH MOWI WILL GET OFF SCOT-FREE.

HOW MANY TIMES WILL THE WILD ATLANTIC SALMON HABITAT HAVE TO SUFFER DAMAGING LOSSES THANKS TO MOWI MISMANAGEMENT.

APPARENTLY THE LACK OF WARNING SIGNS AT CLARE ISLAND SITE SEEM TO BE THE CAUSE. THEY FAILED TO HAVE EVEN A MAYO FLAG ON THE CAGE SITE TO WARN THE CREW OF THE FLAT BOTTOM BARGE.

If state body INLAND FISHERIES IRELAND who are responsible for wild Atlantic salmon habitat were properly led they would sue MOWI for inadequate warning signs and the boat on behalf of anglers who are the victims for the irreparable damage to the fishery as per the ucc escapee report which confirms what these farmed escaped salmon do to us.

Gareth Moore
EDITOR PUBLISHED 12 August 2026 - 15:30
MODIFIED 12 August 2026 - 15:52
Mowi is sending two wellboats to a salmon farm in Ireland after a vintage 30-metre yacht ran over the top of a fish pen and came to rest inside a second pen.
The incident involving the Rara Avis, a flat-bottomed schooner modelled after Thames barge lines, is understood to have happened in the early hours of today at the Portlee Smolt site, Clare Island at the entrance to Clew Bay in County Mayo.
Fish Farming Expert understands that there were 25 French people on the boat, and no reported injuries.

Fits like a glove: the Rara Avis inside a salmon pen at Portlee Smolt, Clare Island, County Mayo, Ireland. Photo: Mowi Ireland
The steel-hulled boat was built in the Netherlands for a wealthy American banker in 1957, and later sold to a French owner before being donated in 1973 to an association aiding young adults and rehabilitation through sailing.
Because the vessel has a flat bottom, it is hoped it can be removed from the pen in the same it came in, over the side. But Mowi’s first priority is to check the nets of the affected pens for holes.
Extra nets
Extra nets are being brought to the site to put around the pens, which contain 100,000 post-smolts with an average weight of 500 grams.
The wellboats will be used to transfer the fish, if required.
They can also be utilised if the fish have to be euthanised for welfare reasons if the water becomes contanimated with fuel from the yacht, although there is no sign of a spillage at present.

Farm technicians examining damage to the side netting and bird netting of the first cage that the yacht ran over the top of. It appears that the yacht entered where the farm technicans are gathered, and exited just to the right on the far side. Photo: Mowi Ireland
WELLBOATS NEWS SALMON FARMING YACHT MOWI IRELAND COUNTY MAYO

The Rara Avis Yacht barges into salmon pen in Ireland

Mowi mobilises resources to prevent escapes after incident at post-smolt site in County Mayo

26/07/2026

Just like the Gweebarra river. Another attempt to seize the best water we have.