MAURICE BUCKLEY,
Sir, - As a salmon angler for over 30 years, it is my opinion we have hit rock bottom as regards our spring salmon stocks.
Most salmon anglers who purchased a State Licence this season have failed to catch a single salmon or even observe one in the water for that matter.
This is a very sad reflection on successive governments, which waffle about the importance of sport and recreation for our well-being.
Any country that allows a wild salmon worth up to €1,000 per fish in tourism terms to be culled commercially for €25 per fish needs its head examined.
Tags and quotas have come much too late to save our spring salmon. What is now needed is the setting up of several regional state salmon hatcheries with large capacity for the production of smolts to start a re-generation programme for rivers with little or no stock. - Yours, etc.,
MAURICE BUCKLEY,
Glanmire Drive,
Glanmire,
Co Cork.