Ireland Branch

Secretary’s DRAFT Report for 2007

This isn’t our official report for the year – it has to be cleared by our AGM.
But it does give an outline of what we’ve been up to.

The two Irish branches of the Institute agreed in 2006 to merge and the new Ireland Branch was formally established at its first AGM held in Belfast on 10th January. The inaugural meeting took place in the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) and we were pleased to have as our guests the President of the IFM Professor John Solbe MBE and his wife Rosemary. Proceedings began with a seminar in which Dr. Walter Crozier told us of the work of the AFBI Fisheries and Aquatic Ecosystems Branch and Dr. Robert Rosell spoke on Zebra Mussels and their implications for Irish lake fisheries.

The election of Office Bearers and Committee was conducted by The President who then gave a most interesting talk on the history of the IFM and its benefits to the members. The day concluded with a tour of the lab. Thanks to Walter Crozier and Robert Rosell for hosting the day.

The programme for the year followed the usual routine established by the former Irish National Brach of day-long seminars in spring and autumn and a field trip in summer. But substantial adjustments were made because of the need for the inaugural in spring and the plans for the IFM Conference in the autumn – organised by Greg Forde and his helpers. The Conference as a great success, with 230 participants enjoying inspiring discourse, hospitality, angling and craic in the beautiful country around Clew Bay.

The summer field trip, therefore, was the only event to run to the usual plan. It took place on 26th July in the form of a visit to fisheries and fish farms on the Lower River Bann. The first call was to the Lough Neagh Eel Fishermen’s Co-operative at Toomebridge, where we saw yellow eels being packed for export to Holland and had the whole complex operation explained to us by Father Oliver Kennedy, the moving force behind the business and our thanks to him for a most interesting visit.

After lunch, we visited a small Bann tributary to inspect and discuss fishery habitat improvements being carried out by Alan Keys for the Fishery owners The Honourable the Irish Society, this was followed by a visit to The Society’s salmon and trout hatchery at Kilrea. At the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure’s trout farm at Movanagher, we heard not only about the culture of trout but also a new venture in the culture of carp.

The Irish Society’s prime salmon angling facility is at Carnroe, where Edward Montgomery, its Representative explained the operation. The day concluded with a visit to the Society’s headquarters at Coleraine, for a welcome cup of tea. Our thanks to Edward and his colleagues for all the work they put into our visit and also to the Department Staff at Movanagher for their part in a long but successful day.