Barriers to Fish Migration

This episode will see Anja Murray investigate the state of migratory fish in Irish waters, including the inland barriers to migration that are contributing to the collapsing population of salmon, European eels, and lamprey. She’ll also explore conservation efforts and workable solutions to these problems. Ireland’s waterways are a great resource, used by anglers, fish enthusiasts and tourists. They support many different varieties of life, from fish to insects to smaller mammals. But man-made structures such as weirs, hydroelectric dams, and aging mills can pose a problem to migratory fish as they make their way upstream to spawn the next generation. Anja Murray will ask why Irish freshwater fish stocks are now at an all-time low, despite major efforts to restore numbers, and explore if it’s possible to rehabilitate fish populations back to natural levels. On this journey Anja will investigate the impacts of barriers to fish migration, and why freeing up these barriers is a central issue in restoring freshwater fish numbers. She’ll speak with conservation experts and local concerned anglers, as well as governmental bodies such as the ESB and the IFI who are tasked with taking care of these populations of migratory fish, and explore how methods and structures can be improved to help life flow smoothly for these important species.