Proposed New Salmon Conservation Measures for 2026

The Public Consultation on the ‘Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations’ for 2026 season commenced on Friday, November 21st, 2025.  

The consultation will continue for a period of 30 days, ending on December 20th, 2025.  

Details on the public consultation can be found at the following link on the Gov.ie website: Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2025 and Conservation Measures for the 2026 Season

The Public Consultation sets out the following:

1. Draft 'Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2025’ with proposed conservation measures for 2026 season.
2. An information note, setting out the proposed changes for 2026 season with reasons for same.

These draft amendment regulations include the revised quotas and catch options associated with the individual rivers for the 2026 season. 

The Salmon Conservation Measures proposed for the 2026 season represent the most significant changes being implemented since 2006, and it is advisable you familiarise yourself with the proposed new measures.

The proposed new conservation measures for 2026 season include the following:

1. Reduction in salmon angling bag limit from 10 fish to 3 fish per angler per season - restricted to the period June 1st – August 31st.
    
2. Rivers with an angling harvest option to open as follows:
   1. Angling ‘Catch & Release only’ from Jan 1st – May 31st, in the interest of conserving Spring Fish (i.e. 2 Sea Winter and Multi Sea Winter fish),
   2. Open for harvest from Jun 1st to Aug 31st, (subject to angling bag limits of 3 fish per person in total during this period – once the angling bag limit is reached, anglers must practice Catch and Release angling),
   3. Angling ‘Catch and Release only’ from Sept 1st to the end of the season.
       
3. Catch & Release thresholds align with Scientific Advice – rivers must meet a minimum of 65% of the Conservation Limit or 17 fry average per 5 minutes of Catchment-Wide Electro-Fishing to qualify for ‘catch and release only’ angling
    
4. Commercial fishing season revised to commence from June 1st to July 31st in the interest of conserving Spring Fish.