New Fisheries Statistical Bulletin Released

The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) today published ‘Digest of statistics for salmon and inland fisheries in the DCAL jurisdiction’. The main purpose of these statistics is to give an overview of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) fisheries sector in Northern Ireland. The latest available data have been drawn together from a number of published and unpublished sources. Some key statistics from the report are summarised below: *xa0 There were 26,980 angling licences and 19,270 DCAL permits sold in 2013. *xa0 1,138 rod licences and 1,062 permits were checked in the DCAL public angling estate in 2013/14. *xa0 There were approximately 220,000 salmon fry stocked from Bushmills Hatchery to rivers in Northern Ireland in 2013. *xa0 Only ten salmon were caught in commercial nets in 2013, all in Lough Neagh. *xa0 The estimated return of wild adult salmon to the River Bush in 2013 was 1,644 and was above the previous ten year average (2003-2012) of 1,147. *xa0 The ten year overall eel catch average in Lough Neagh (2004-2013) of 409 tonnes is 35% less than the previous ten year eel catch average (1994-2003) of 635 tonnes. *xa0 The eel escapement estimate for the Neagh-Bann River Basin District for 2013 was 267 tonnes and above the 200 tonnes target. The bulletin is available on: