- Almost €1m provided for fish conservation projects in 12 counties nationwide – during National Biodiversity Week 2023
Inland Fisheries Ireland has today announced the 24 projects awarded a total of €999,272 from the Salmon and Sea Trout Rehabilitation, Conservation and Protection Fund.
The competitive fund, administered by Inland Fisheries Ireland(IFI), supports sustainable development initiatives to ensure native salmon and sea trout can survive and thrive, and overcome challenges they face in the wild.
The transformative new fish conservation projects in 12 different counties include:
- Riverside fencing and solar pasture drinking pumps in Co. Offaly to minimise pollution by livestock encroachment in water
- A major fish barrier removal scheme in Co. Wicklow to help improve river connectivity for migratory fish and eel
- A project to curb the spread of the invasive plant species, rhododendron, on river catchments in Co. Mayo to benefit in-stream habitat quality
- Spawning enhancement and habitat restoration works in the River Boyne catchment in Co Meath
- Surveillance measures, using environmental DNA, to monitor the presence of invasive pink salmon species in Irish rivers nationwide.
The Salmon and Sea Trout Rehabilitation, Conservation and Protection Fund has provided over €3.75m to different groups and fisheries development experts since 2016.
Grants will be provided to initiatives based in: Offaly (€80.5k), Cork (€140k), Donegal (€3.5k), Galway (€78k), Clare (€42.7k), Kerry (€18k), Kildare (€6.3k), Sligo (€34.3k), Mayo (€124k), Meath (€104.2k), Wicklow (€115k), Westmeath (€73k), and national projects (€180k).
A list of the 24 successful applicants can be found here: Habitats & Conservation Funding Call 2023 | Inland Fisheries Ireland
