River Barrow juvenile salmon stock assessmentA catchment wide electrofishing survey (CWEF) of juvenile salmon abundance was undertaken on the River Barrow during summer 2011 by Inland Fisheries Ireland staff. CWEF is a method of assessing salmon stocks in the absence of other stock information. This is the fourth year of the CWEF survey in the River Barrow catchment. 79 sites were included in the 2011 analysis. The mean catch in 2011 was 24.75 salmon fry which is considered a high abundance level and is a significant increase on previous years. The mean catch over the four years sampled was 15.35 salmon fry.
Table 1. Summary data for CWEF in the River Barrow 2007 - 2011 The calculated average of 15.35 salmon fry over the four years that this survey has been carried out was below the threshold level of 17 salmon fry. The River Barrow remains closed for 2012 but it is intended that the survey will once again take place in 2012 and it is hoped that the positive results from 2011 will be repeated. Catchments where the average threshold level of 17 salmon fry is exceeded have been opened for catch and release angling. |
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