Sir, - You carried a piece (The Irish Times, May 31st) concerning the launch of a report on pollution, and the decline of a once renowned game fishery. The importance of this Western Regional Fisheries Board environmental appraisal of the decline of the River Robe in Co Mayo as a salmonid fishery has yet to be fully explored and its significance appreciated.
Compared with many other recently published reports and studies on various water bodies throughout the country, it is not a massive, weighty publication. Its real value and significance lies in the quality and the accuracy of the information it contains. In many respects, it gets to the heart of the main problems now affecting most of our inland lake and river systems, and the sources which are responsible for them.
High levels of artificial fertilisers and massive volumes of animal wastes, mainly slurries, being applied to lands within the river catchment point to unsustainable farming practices. A combined percentage of these are reaching water, and are leading to nutrient enrichment problems. In turn, this is having an adverse impact on both the River Robe and Lough Mask, to which the river discharges.
As a very interested and concerned organisation, we are fully supportive of the board in any initiative it may take, in order to ensure that positive actions are now forthcoming in response to this report, by all the other responsible regulatory bodies to address this serious issue. Contrary to any impression which may have been given, we were not instrumental in having this study carried out, but have always supported any such venture. We appreciate the time and detailed work involved by board staff over the three-year period in their collection of data. The work of staff in its Galway offices, compiling and collating all this data, has resulted in a very readable and understandable report. While continuing as a voluntary organisation to highlight the problems affecting our water resources, we hope to support and assist the fishery board in any way possible in its efforts to restore this very important part of the Lough Mask catchment. - Yours, etc.,
Anthony Waldron, Pro, Carra/Mask Angling Federation, Keenaghan, Ballymote, Co Sligo.