Celtic Sea Trout Programme - 16/07/2008

The Central Fisheries Board and Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure are asking for help from Irish anglers with research on an in-depth project to study every aspect of sea trout and their behaviour.

Anglers can get involved by taking scale samples from the sea trout they catch from any river system, lake or even the sea along the eastern and southern coast of Ireland. The board asks for anglers to obtain nine scales from between the lateral line and dorsal fin of any fish caught and then record the length, weight, location, date and method of capture on the envelope. Envelopes can be obtained from the Central Fisheries Board into which the scales can be placed – these can then be sent in for data collection. The organisations are working with international groups from Scotland, Wales and England to help paint a picture of the species around our isles, and how they can be preserved.

For full details on the project, how to take scale samples safely and other information, visit the Central Fisheries Board’s website at www.cfb.ie or call 00 353 (0) 1 8842 600.