Retired shellfish farmer convicted of poaching offences on Owenmarve River

PRESS RELEASEWednesday, 20th April 2016

At a recent sitting of Dungloe District Court, a retired shellfish farmer was convicted of poaching fish from the Owenmarve River near Dungloe in July 2014. Mr Jimmy Sweeney was ordered to pay €800 in a fine and costs.

Dungloe District Court was told that Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) officers saw Mr Sweeney using a fishing engine for the capture of salmon and possessing a net for taking prohibited fish from the Owenmarve River. The defendant denied the offence but did not give evidence to the court. His defence solicitor failed in a bid to satisfy the court that there was a fault in the way Sweeney was cautioned by the officers.

IFI officer Seamus Bradley, who patrolled the area of Derrydruel Upper, Dungloe, with two other officers on 15th July 2014, told the court that he spotted a net on the river with binoculars and a telescope. He then saw a man walking downstream towards the net and stopping at it before concealing himself behind a rock close to the net. Some minutes later then man reappeared and began retrieving the net and putting it into a bag.

Mr Bradley testified that he contacted his fellow officers at that stage and asked them to move and contact the man he was observing. When the man noticed the officers’ jeep, he went downstream and placed a bag behind a large rock. IFI officer Owen Kelly was informed of this and recovered the bag from behind the rock. It contained a 12 metre long multi-monofilament salmon net.

Dr Ciaran Byrne, CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland, commented: “The Owenmarve River, a private fishery owned by the Rosses anglers, has been closed since 2006 for salmon fishing and capture of sea trout over 40 centimetres. Salmon angling is extremely valuable to the tourism industry and provides revenue, employment to local communities, as well as recreation to thousands of local anglers around Ireland. Inland Fisheries Ireland will continue to work to protect this resource for the good of the community.”

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has a confidential hotline number to enable members of the general public to report incidents - 1890 34 74 24 or 1890 FISH 24. This phone line is designed to encourage the reporting of incidents of illegal fishing, water pollution and invasive species.

ENDS

Further Information:

Myles Kelly
Inland Fisheries Ireland
Anglesea Street, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
Tel: 052 6180055 Fax: 052 6123971
Email: myles.kelly@fisheriesireland.ie Website: www.fisheriesireland.ie

Note for Editors:

Inland Fisheries Ireland is a statutory body operating under the aegis of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and was established under the Fisheries Act on 1st July 2010. Its principal function is the protection and conservation of the inland fisheries resource. IFI will promote, support, facilitate and advise the Minister on, the conservation, protection, management, development and improvement of inland fisheries, including sea angling and develop and advise the Minister on policy and national strategies relating to inland fisheries and sea angling.