Who we are and what we do

Salmon Watch Ireland is a membership organisation dedicated to the restoration of salmon abundance in Ireland. It is the successor organisation to Stop Salmon Drifts Nets Now which, from 2004 to 2007, led the successful campaign for the abolition of mixed stock fishing for salmon (commonly known as drift netting) off the Irish coast.

Salmon Watch Ireland is a company limited by guarantee governed by the Companies Acts. The Memorandum of Association of the company adopted at its 2007 Annual General Meeting sets out the following objectives:

  •   To do all things necessary to contribute to the conservation and restoration to abundance of the wild Atlantic salmon and in particular to engage in research, training, education, advocacy and campaign programmes directed towards that end.

  •  To raise awareness among the public of the threat to stocks of wild salmon and the measures needed to restore salmon abundance, of the heritage, environmental, social, economic and recreational importance of achieving that objective and of the particular threat that would be posed to salmon stocks by any restoration of mixed stock fishing for salmon.

Salmon Watch Ireland is, therefore, dedicated to salmon conservation and is not a representative organisation for anglers – a role that is filled by the country’s game angling federations.

Salmon Watch Ireland is an approved NGO observer at the inter-governmental North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation and is affiliated to the Pure Salmon Campaign.

Recent news/Updates

11th January 2012
Submission to the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources from Salmon Watch Ireland regarding the draft Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations 2011 published on 19 May 2011.s
Click here to download full pdf document.

9th June 2011 - SWIRL Conference
Salmon Watch Ireland Annual Conference 2011 - Document Download.
SWIRL's Annual Conference was held on Saturday 21st May 2011 at Silver Springs Moran Hotel, Tivoli, Cork.

The theme was "Current Issues in Fishery Management". Subjects and speakers were:
1. The challenge of falling salmon survival rates at sea – what SALSEA can teach us - Dr Ken Whelan, Atlantic Salmon Trust. (Download PowerPoint Presentation here).
2. Water quality – what can the Water Framework Directive process deliver – Dr Fran Igoe, Irish Char Conservation Group. (Download PowerPoint Presentation here).
3. Funding the rehabilitation of fisheries – Maura Walsh, Integrated Rural Development, Duhallow. (Download PowerPoint Presentation here).

Remarks by Niall Greene, Chair of Salmon Watch Ireland to the Annual General Meeting of the company held at the Silver Springs Hotel, Cork on Saturday, 21 May 2011.
Click here to download full pdf document.

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