The Eel Stocks of the Shannon System and Prospects for Development of the Fishery

Abstract

Lough Neagh has long been known to yield the greatest quantities of eels of any water body in Ireland, the annual catch being in excess of 700 tonnes. The Shannon catchment on the other hand yields less than 100 tonnes per annum. This Leaflet describes work carried out in Lough Neagh and in the Shannon catchment in 1985 and 1986 which has indicated that eels are now more abundant in the Shannon System than in Lough Neagh. The implications are that the stocks in the Shannon System are sufficient to yield an annual catch of as much as 1,000 tonnes and value £2 million. The current capital cost of establishing a two-man crew capable of catching 3 tonnes of eel, value £6,000, is £2,500. Annual running costs per crew are less than £1,000. The large scale exploitation of the fishery would involve much more substantial investment by the owners. Arising from this paper, the Department has raised the matter with the ESB and the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board to agree on a strategy to maximise employment from the fishery.