Anglers looking forward to the start of this year's fishing season in Mayo may face disappointment in light of predictions that catches will be low due to rising phosphorus pollution in a number of the county's prime fishing lakes.
Mr Vincent Roche, manager of the North-Western Regional Fisheries Board, has warned that increasing discharges of nutrients, particularly from septic tanks, is set to cause a collapse of trout angling on Loughs Conn and Cullin, two of the most popular brown trout lakes in the county.
"Increased discharge of nutrients into the lakes resulted in poor fishing last year with a reduction in the total trout catch after increases had been recorded over the previous two years.
"This is most disappointing and every possible means of reducing nutrient discharges to the lakes must now be pursued with renewed vigour," he said.
Phosphorus by-laws and the need for the provision of new sewage treatment facilities in the area are now of paramount importance, Mr Roche stated, in order to combat inflow to the lakes.
Exceptionally high rainfall during the last three years has also contributed due to increased run-offs of phosphorus into the lake system. This would not have occurred, however, had there not been excessive amounts of nutrients available on land throughout the Lough Conn subcatchment, he said.
Responding to the claims, Mr Roy O'Brien, of the Irish Farmers Association, said it was extreme to expect farmers to stop using chemical fertilisers on land throughout Mayo, particularly given that vast areas of the county have no problem whatever with phosphoros or potassium leakages.
He added that farmers recognised that farming practices must adhere to a code of sound environmental practice. The vast majority are already participating in Department of Agriculture approved schemes including REPS, Extensification, Premium, Farm Improvement and Pollution Control.
The REPS scheme has vastly reduced the amount of phosphorus leaking into Lough Conn, he added.
