This article is from page 33 of the 2008-03-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 33 JPG
ANGLERS are being asked to help scientists to trace any remaining fish of two species which have not been seen for some time. Scientists are be- ginning to fear that Lough Derg has lost two species – gilaroo trout and pollan – both of which have inhabited the lake since the last Ice Age. Shannon Regional Fisheries Board Marine biologist, Dr Fran Igoe has said that there is a real possibil- ity that gilaroo trout exist in Lough
Derg, or that they did until recently.
Appeals to anglers over the past two years to report any catches of the fish have produced nothing.
Despite co-operation in trying to find the two species from the angling clubs in Lough Derg, there have been just two pollan netted as part of a fish biodiversity study of the lake.
The scientific co-ordinator of the study, Dr Igoe, is trying to solve why the stocks of once plentiful pollan in Lough Derg have declined.
The fish species is found only in Ire-
land’s five large lakes, and stocks in Lough Derg, Lough Ree and Lough Erne have seriously declined.
The situation has become so bad that a Local Area Species Action Plan has been drawn up by the Clare Biodiversity Forum.
Dr Igoe explained that the neces- sary steps include investigations into the possible impact of hydro-power, pollution and non-native organisms on fish numbers.
Eleven angling clubs which use the lakes and the Lough Derg Sub-Aqua
Club have been supporting the re- search.
“This is very significant as there is no other animal except perhaps the Irish hare, that comes close to this kind of uniqueness when it comes to our wildlife heritage in Ireland,” said Dr Igoe.
Any anglers who come across what they suspect might be a gilaroo trout are being asked to take and freeze a muscle tissue sample so that Dr Igoe can test it to see if the species still OIA