ISFC Annual Reports

Hundreds of big fish taken by anglers in 2009

The 2009 ISFC Annual Report. Click the image to download the report [.pdf, 1 MB]

Hundreds of big fish, or “specimen fish”, were caught by anglers fishing in Ireland in 2009 according to the full colour Irish Specimen Fish Committee report issued today. Carp, mainly taken from The Lough in Cork City, and Sea Trout, from Lough Currane in Kerry dominated the catches in freshwater. Exotic species such as Golden Grey Mullet, mainly from Cork Harbour and Cuckoo Wrasse mainly from the Antrim coast, and more conventional species like Cod and Spurdog, dominated catches of sea fish. As the winter weather takes hold anglers both at home and abroad will be reading the report carefully to plan their angling trips to catch the big fish in Ireland.

One New Irish Record was established and the report has all of the details about all specimen fish taken by anglers this year. A total of 531 specimens were recorded in 2009 which is an 8% increase on the 2008 total.

The New Irish Record is:

Six-Gilled Shark – Joe Waldis from Switzerland - new record of 480 kg taken off Carrigaholt, Co. Clare on 16th June 2009

Other news on the specimen fish front:

• The ISFC, working with researchers at the School of Biology and Environmental Science at University College Dublin, has continued to successfully use genetic fingerprinting to identify species like roach, rudd and their hybrids in 2009. Fish scales provide the DNA which is used to identify these fish which can be difficult to distinguish based on external appearance alone. Rudd/roach have been included as an eligible hybrid.
• Progress was made on the “Conservation Specimen” award. ISFC hopes to use length measurements to claim a “conservation specimen” from 2011 onwards and preparatory work for this development is ongoing.
• A review of specimen fish weights resulted in the threshold weights for some species being reduced reflecting species catchability, geographical distribution and numbers recorded in recent decades. The review will be completed in 2010.

The report is available to download now [.pdf 1 MB]

Hard copies will be available from Central Fisheries Board offices in Swords, Dublin in early 2010

For further information contact Dr. Willie Roche, ISFC Sec 087-6620479.

Download the ISFC Annual Reports

• 2009 [.pdf 1 MB]
• 2008 [.pdf 1MB]
• 2007 [.pdf 1.6MB]
• 2006 [.pdf 1.02 MB]
• 2005 [.pdf 943 KB]
• 2004 [.pdf 900 KB]
• 2003 [.pdf 857 KB]
• 2002 [.pdf 560 KB]
• 2001 [.pdf 447 KB]
• 2000 [.pdf 488 KB]
• 1999 [.pdf 422 KB]
• The 1957 Annual report can be viewed as 4 .jpg images here.