{"id":577105,"date":"2026-07-31T12:17:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T12:17:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/577105\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T12:17:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T12:17:17","slug":"salmon-poaching-fears-escalate-in-donegal-as-officials-warn-of-growing-threat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/577105\/","title":{"rendered":"Salmon poaching fears escalate in Donegal as officials warn of growing threat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Concerns are mounting over illegal salmon fishing in Donegal as prolonged dry weather leaves fish increasingly exposed to poachers.<\/p>\n

The Loughs Agency has confirmed it is stepping up enforcement operations in response to what it describes as one of the most worrying increases in illegal fishing activity seen in recent years.<\/p>\n

Exceptionally low water levels, caused by weeks of dry weather, have forced Atlantic salmon into smaller, shallower pools where they are far easier to target.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With forecasts suggesting the dry spell could continue into September, officials fear already struggling salmon stocks will remain under significant threat.<\/p>\n

The Loughs Agency says its Fishery Officers are carrying out round-the-clock patrols, backed by advanced surveillance technology, in a bid to deter illegal activity and protect vulnerable fish.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week, Inland Fisheries staff smashed an illegal salmon poaching operation south-west Donegal.<\/a><\/p>\n

Officers from the authority seized both a dingy and a net during the operation at Teelin Bay, west of Killybegs. A net had been set across Teelin Bay, preventing salmon from migrating up the River Glen to their spawning area<\/p>\n

Officers also seized 12 salmon during the operation.<\/p>\n

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Inland Fisheries Ireland officers also responded after a report of an illegal net found in the Buncrana area whole concerns have been raised elsewhere in Donegal about illegal fishing in the Finn and Foyle rivers.<\/p>\n

Sharon McMahon, Chief Executive Officer of the Loughs Agency, said the current situation is deeply concerning.<\/p>\n

“This is one of the most concerning trends we have witnessed in recent years,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur Fishery Officers are continuing to carry out enforcement patrols around the clock, supported by advanced surveillance technology. We have successfully undertaken over 130 seizures in the last two years and that is only going to increase while water levels stay like this.<\/p>\n

“We remain fully committed to enforcement and ensuring those partaking in acts of illegal fishing are held responsible for their actions.<\/p>\n

“Loughs Agency will continue to work tirelessly to ensure offenders are identified, prosecuted where appropriate and held fully accountable for their actions. Illegal fishing poses a significant threat to fish stocks, biodiversity and the sustainability of our waterways.”<\/p>\n

The Loughs Agency is appealing to the public to play their part by reporting any suspected illegal fishing as it happens through the Water Watch app.<\/p>\n

Officials say information received through the app has already proved invaluable in helping officers respond quickly to incidents and build intelligence on suspected poaching activity.<\/p>\n

The Agency is also expanding its enforcement resources, with a recruitment campaign currently underway for additional Fishery Officers as part of its long-term commitment to protecting fisheries across the Foyle and Carlingford catchments.<\/p>\n

The warning comes as environmental conditions continue to put pressure on wild Atlantic salmon populations, with conservationists stressing that illegal fishing during periods of exceptionally low water can have a devastating impact on already vulnerable stocks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Concerns are mounting over illegal salmon fishing in Donegal as prolonged dry weather leaves fish increasingly exposed to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":577106,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[61,60,43,243457],"class_list":["post-577105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-news","tag-salmon-poaching-fears-in-donegal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/577105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=577105"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/577105\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/577106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=577105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=577105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=577105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}