Escaped fish from Killary Harbour ‘pose significant risk to wild Atlantic salmon populations’ says Inland Fisheries Ireland.
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has reported that it was not formally notified of a significant farmed salmon escape in County Galway within the mandatory 24-hour period required by law.
The escape, which is estimated to involve at least 10,000 salmon, occurred at a fish farm in Killary Harbour on 11 August.
Large numbers of farmed salmon reported to have escaped from Irish farm
Under regulations, salmon farm operators must inform the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, as well as IFI, of any “abnormal losses” within 24 hours. However, IFI stated that it became aware of the incident only after the initial 24-hour window had passed. The agency confirmed that it has since contacted local fishery owners and angling clubs about the incident and is actively monitoring for escaped fish in nearby rivers, including at its research trapping facilities in the National Salmonid Index Catchment at the River Erriff in County Mayo.
The escaped salmon have already been found in three of Ireland’s most important angling rivers, including the Erriff, Kylemore, and Delphi, according to the Irish Times.
IFI has stated that the presence of these farmed salmon poses a significant threat to wild Atlantic salmon, particularly as wild salmon in these rivers are currently returning to spawn. The agency is concerned that interbreeding between farmed and wild salmon could compromise the genetic integrity of the wild populations, potentially affecting their long-term survival and resilience.
Anglers and environmental groups, including Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages (GBASC) and Salmon Watch Ireland (SWI), have voiced strong concerns about the condition of the escaped salmon, with reports indicating that some of the fish were diseased.
Despite reassurances from the fish farm operator that the escaped salmon would not mature until winter 2025 and that their survival until then would be minimal, GBASC and other groups remain skeptical, arguing that even a small number of escapees could have significant long-term effects on wild salmon populations.
