THE discovery of the remains of an exotic dragonfish on the River Suck has raised concerns over the damage being done to Irish waterways by the release of non-native organisms into the wild.
The dragonfish may have been brought into the country as pike fishing bait and although it is unlikely that it was brought here alive, Dr Joe Caffrey of Inland Fisheries Ireland said it could still damage our native biodiversity.
“There is a possibility that discarded fish could still have parasites, viruses or bacteria that would be alien to Ireland and if the fish are eaten, they could indeed pass that on to our native species,” he said….
Irish Independent 26/06/2014 Read the article ‘Dragonfish find highlights threat posed by release of exotic species‘
