Shannon Regional Fisheries Board

The Shannon Regional Fisheries Board is the competent fisheries authority for the inland fisheries and sea angling resource of the Shannon Catchment and much of the Mid-West Region.

http://www.shannon-fishery-board.ie/
info@shrfb.com
+353 (0)61 300238
Ashbourne Business Park
Dock Road Limerick
Co. Limerick

The Shannon Regional Fisheries Board is the competent fisheries authority for the inland fisheries and sea angling resource of the Shannon Catchment which includes most of the midland region. 

There are three other Regional Fisheries Board whose remit also includes parts of the region. The Southern Regional Fisheries Board  is responsible for most of County Laois and parts of east Offaly. The Eastern Regional Fisheries Board covers parts of East Westmeath and East Offaly while the Northern Regional Fisheries Board cover the area of North Longford in the Erne catchment.

The Shannon Regional Fisheries Board was established under the Fisheries Act 1980 and was given additional responsibilities under the Fisheries Act 1999. The Board operates under the auspices of the Department of the Marine & Natural Resources which has overall policy responsibility for the conservation, management, regulation and development of the Inland Fisheries resource. The Board has responsibility for policy advice, co-ordination and implementation. The Board of 22 members is informed and has its decisions implemented by the Chief Executive Officer. The Headquarters of the Board is in Limerick, while the majority of its resources are located in 9 local areas where most of the implementation work is carried out.

In delivering its responsibilities the Board maintains a highly trained and motivated staff, with a permanent staff complement of 51 and nine temporary staff. The multi-flexible nature and dedication of our staff allows for greater effectiveness at local level in all parts of the Region. This geographical spread of staff throughout the Region allows close links with local and angling communities.

The Board’s catchment area is the largest of the seven Regional Fisheries Boards. It ranges from above Lough Allen in the North to below Listowel in the South, and from Loop Head in the West to Lough Sheelin in the East. Within this area there are over 7,000 square miles of lake, 7,000 miles of river and some 220 miles of coastline. It holds some 26 species of freshwater fish and 36 sea angling species. The Region is home to some excellent game, coarse and sea angling. While coarse fish are the dominant species, the extensive waters also hold stocks of threatened and rare fish species such as pollen and smelt.

In addition to hosting a wide variety of fish species, the Region’s waterways also cater for many other recreational users including large numbers of cruiser boats. The river Shannon is particularly popular for cruisers and, as a result of its connection by canal to the river Erne, is the largest cruising waterway in Europe.

The Region’s inland fisheries resource has suffered greatly from pollution and human intervention in recent decades. Declining water quality and habitat degradation have had a particularly adverse impact on stocks of salmon and wild brown trout. In recent times, however, the Board has noticed a slight improvement in water quality levels and through the partnership process will endeavour to accelerate this movement, while continuing to actively utilise its regulatory powers.