Inland Fisheries Ireland, the state agency responsible for the protection and conservation of freshwater fish and habitats, has confirmed the presence of pike in Aughrusbeg Lough, Co. Galway. The confirmation was made during a fish stock survey by Inland Fisheries Ireland research staff earlier this week and is the first official record of pike being present in the lake.
Inland Fisheries Ireland is investigating if the pike was ‘introduced’ to the lake through human activity, by the illegal movement of fish between watercourses.
The introduction of pike to small low-complexity lakes, such as Aughrusbeg Lough, could be devastating to resident fish populations. New introductions are also potentially a carrier of fish disease and parasites, the state agency has said.
To help assess the scale of the problem, Inland Fisheries Ireland researchers are currently analysing samples from the latest fish stock survey to establish the age and distribution of the pike population discovered in the lake.
In the mean-time, Inland Fisheries Ireland is appealing to all anglers to protect Ireland’s fisheries by not moving fish between watercourses, for any reason. To report suspicions around the illegal movement of fish between watercourses, anglers and members of the public are encouraged to call Inland Fisheries Ireland’s confidential hotline number on 0818 34 74 24, which is open 24 hours a day.
