New salmon season will see 20 closed rivers reopen in January

Announcing the move, Minister of State for Natural Resources Conor Lenihan said he was cautiously optimistic about the native salmon stocks given the performance of stocks over recent years.

He said five rivers previously closed for fishing will open with an identified surplus number of fish for harvest. Some 18 additional rivers would be open to angling on a “catch and release” basis.

However, he said three rivers which had previously been open for “catch and release” would be closed next year on conservation grounds.

The Minister, who also announced a €12 reduction in the cost of a one-day angling licence to encourage tourist anglers, said 52 rivers would be open next year, two more than in 2010.

He said 29 rivers had been classified as open for “catch and release”, 18 more than in 2010.

He said in all 60 rivers would remain closed for salmon fishing as there was no surplus of fish available for harvest in them. This is 20 less than in 2010.