I
Ian Cloke
Guest
ANGLERS in Rathangan fear that fish stocks are being depleted - through theft.
A local ex-founding member of the fishing club in Rathangan came across three men who had taken fish, some only several centimetres in length, from the Grand Canal.
The man, who was accompanied by a friend, happened on the trio - of Eastern European origin - at Glenaree, a remote area about three miles from the town.
The trio said they were living and working in Newbridge.
"We took away the fish in a plastic bag they had and explained to them that small fish should be returned to the canal. Their explanation was that the fish were to be fed to cats but I believe they were to be used as bait to lure pike at other waterways," said the man.
The normal custom is that any fish weighing less than three quarters of a pound is returned to the waterway and this is generally observed whether or not a licence is required to use the waterway.
The local fishing club issues permits to those wishing to fish the River Slate but no licence if required for the Grand Canal.
"Children as young as eight or ten years know better than to take small fish from the canal or river and not return them. Nobody who uses the canal or river has a problem with them doing so provided they obey the rules; otherwise the canal would run out of stock."
The fish taken from the canal were perch, rudd and roach and provided there is an adequate supply of food in the canal these species thrive without the need for restocking. However this balance will be upset if too many fish are taken away.
"It's not possible to say how many fish were taken out by these three or how many times they came before or even how much of this is happening. There are customs governing fish sizes and a trout less than nine inches must be returned to the water. If we obey the laws and rules of a country we visit why can they come from another country and break our rules ? We know that undersize fish are being taken from waterways elsewhere such as Monasterevin and Wicklow. If it continues our stock will run out," he added.
Meanwhile there are claims that ducks bred on the canal in Rathangan have been removed by people using a hook and bread as bait. The mallard population on the canal once numbered as high as between forty and fifty but has fallen to two.
"Waterways like the rivers and canals are natural assets and it is our duty to pass them on to future generations as they were passed on to us," he said.
A local ex-founding member of the fishing club in Rathangan came across three men who had taken fish, some only several centimetres in length, from the Grand Canal.
The man, who was accompanied by a friend, happened on the trio - of Eastern European origin - at Glenaree, a remote area about three miles from the town.
The trio said they were living and working in Newbridge.
"We took away the fish in a plastic bag they had and explained to them that small fish should be returned to the canal. Their explanation was that the fish were to be fed to cats but I believe they were to be used as bait to lure pike at other waterways," said the man.
The normal custom is that any fish weighing less than three quarters of a pound is returned to the waterway and this is generally observed whether or not a licence is required to use the waterway.
The local fishing club issues permits to those wishing to fish the River Slate but no licence if required for the Grand Canal.
"Children as young as eight or ten years know better than to take small fish from the canal or river and not return them. Nobody who uses the canal or river has a problem with them doing so provided they obey the rules; otherwise the canal would run out of stock."
The fish taken from the canal were perch, rudd and roach and provided there is an adequate supply of food in the canal these species thrive without the need for restocking. However this balance will be upset if too many fish are taken away.
"It's not possible to say how many fish were taken out by these three or how many times they came before or even how much of this is happening. There are customs governing fish sizes and a trout less than nine inches must be returned to the water. If we obey the laws and rules of a country we visit why can they come from another country and break our rules ? We know that undersize fish are being taken from waterways elsewhere such as Monasterevin and Wicklow. If it continues our stock will run out," he added.
Meanwhile there are claims that ducks bred on the canal in Rathangan have been removed by people using a hook and bread as bait. The mallard population on the canal once numbered as high as between forty and fifty but has fallen to two.
"Waterways like the rivers and canals are natural assets and it is our duty to pass them on to future generations as they were passed on to us," he said.