THE Minister for Marine, Simon Coveney, has announced details of a €17.8m capital investment package for Ireland’s publicly owned fishery harbours and local harbour network.
Flagship projects include small-craft harbours and pontoons in Howth, Co Dublin, Rossaveal, Co Galway and Killybegs, Co Donegal; dredging works at Dunmore East, Co Waterford; electrical upgrading in Castletownbere, Co Cork, and remedial works at the pier in Dingle, Co Kerry.
Howth Harbour will receive €1m for a small-craft pontoon, €150,000 towards a site investigation for the West Pier pontoon and Middle Pier upgrade, and €75,000 for traffic management works.
“This is a significant level of investment in publicly owned fisheries and local harbour network. It will continue the implementation of the Governments strategy to develop and improve the facilities at our fishery harbour centres,” the Minister says.
UCD seafood advice
In each edition of
SeaHealth- ucd
, Prof Ronan Gormley pens a seafood article about people in fisheries and aquaculture – fish packers, processors, distributors, retailers, health professionals and consumers.
Third-year food science students undertake a three- month product development course to create new or modified products. The module exposes students to the industry and prepares them for a career in the food sector.
The latest issue concentrates on the preparation of smoked mackerel fishcakes (cistí mara). The objectives were threefold: to produce upmarket frozen fishcakes with mashed potato and carrot, to investigate the use of sodium caseinate as a cryoprotectant in frozen cistí mara and to compare breaded cistí mara with cod/salmon fishcakes purchased in a supermarket. Email ronan.gormley@ucd.ie.
High hopes on Currane
Early March saw few anglers on Lough Currane due to rain, sleet and howling gales, which put off all but the most intrepid trollers. But as St Patrick’s Day approached, an improvement in the weather brought out the boats with an increase in salmon landed.
The season’s catch has now rocketed up into the high teens with superb fish ranging from seven to 12lbs. With the milder weather set to continue, there are high hopes for a good spring run, says Rod Robinson.
The Waterville Lakes and Rivers Trust, along with with Inland Fisheries Ireland, has initiated an economic survey to assess the impact of angling on the Waterville area.
Anyone interested in helping to protect this iconic fishery, can do so online at surveymonkey.com/s/ WatervilleLakesandRiversTrust.
Great day at Graiguenamanagh
“In the 20 years of our club’s existence it is hard to believe we had never once fished at Graiguenamanagh, Co Kilkenny, on the River Barrow. It’s a beautiful spot. The locals and angling club do everything they can to make anglers feel welcome,” says Colm O’Gaora of Portobello AC from Dublin.
Better still, despite the bitter cold and easterly breeze, the river was stuffed with dace and roach. Ferri made the most of his peg to take 8.2kg by alternating between pole and stick float.
“Great fishing – we hope to be back within 20 days instead of 20 years,” he says.
Results: 1, Ferri, 8.2kg; 2, T Campbell, 5.05kg; 3, C O’Gaora, 4.58kg; 4, T Nelson, 3.10kg; 5, S Campbell, 2.04kg.
Inniscarra festival
There was top-class sport on three sections of the Coachford Greenway world championship stretch for the 39 Irish and British anglers at the first festival of the season at Inniscarra, Co Cork.
Kevin LeVelle of Liverpool, a first-time visitor to Coachford, took the festival win with a catch of 21.95kg, followed closely by junior international James O’Doherty, of Erne Anglers, with 20.25kg. David Herron of 19.750kg, of Midland Angling Supplies, came third with 19.75kg.
For details on festival dates from May to September, visit ncffi.ie/eventscalendar.
angling@irishtimes.com
