As you head North through Sligo, and hit the coast road, Donegal bay begins to appear on your left. A hire car was secured and a journey through some incredible scenery began. Knock lies a good 100 miles South of Kilcar, our base on the North side of Donegal bay for the coming three days. In early October, Barry and I, along with renowned UK Charter skipper Jerry Rogers, touched down in Ireland at Knock airport, appropriately the centre for another pilgrimage, to the Sanctuary of our Lady of Knock. The opportunity to fish with the ‘godfather’ of not just Irish but at the very least European Recreational ABFT fishing, Adrian Molloy, was just too good to ignore.Ī trip to Donegal, this world renowned fishery, in the company of Adrian was no less than a pilgrimage for us, underpinned by the knowledge we might gain from our time with him.
#IRELAND SCENERY FISHERMEN FREE#
At last, an opportunity existed for large numbers of anglers to experience this amazing angling opportunity free of concerns regarding the legality of those trips.Ī fellow SCBI – Sportfishing Club of the British Isles – Club Member and I decided we wanted to get a piece of this action. In early 2019 such a program was announced for Ireland, From mid August 2019 for 2 months, 15 charter vessels would be licensed to take paying recreational anglers to participate in a widespread EU/ICCAT authorised floy tagging program in Irish waters.
ICCAT rule changes in 2017 made it easier to establish authorised catch, tag and release programs in ‘non quota holding countries’. In August 2018, the EU audit office issued a formal warning to Dublin that Ireland was ‘operating an illegal recreational Bluefin Tuna fishery’, and that if it was not stopped, Dublin could face huge fines….įaced with a PR disaster, with Brussels penalising Ireland for activities France, Spain and Italy amongst other carry out perfectly legally, in the midst of sensitive Brexit negotations with huge implications for Ireland, the EU found a temporary solution.
With fish typically ranging from 250-500lbs, this feat is UNRIVALLED BY ANY CHARTER VESSEL OPERATOR IN THE WORLD. In 2018, Adrian caught, tagged and released 228 Bluefin, including many under formal Research programs. Adrian initiated and took part in a number of authorised research programs from 2016 involving the capture of ABFT and the application of high tech Satellite Tags that pop off after 9-12 months revealing great detail of the behaviour of that fish over the previous months.ĭespite the Irish Government’s lack of willingness or success in establishing a recreational fishery, multiple Irish skippers continued to operate charters to catch and release ABFT. ICCAT and EU rules deemed such a fishery illegal at that time for any country such as Ireland that did NOT hold a part of the EU’s huge share of the Global quota for Atlantic Bluefin. Adrian Molloy was at the centre of efforts to persuade the Irish Government to lobby the EU to allow Ireland to set up a recreational catch and release fishery. Whatever the reason, from 2013 on, ABFT have been regularly sighted and caught off of Donegal and indeed other parts of the Irish coast. Bluefin began to return to Irish waters from around 2012, aided perhaps by the then fledgling recovery in stocks, but also it seems by a major shift in a long term (typically 25-40 years) North Atlantic climatic cycle, the AMO, that entered a new phase early this century. From around 2010, the Stock Spawning Biomass troughed and began to recover, evidenced by multiple, wide ranging stock assessments since. ICCAT, the species’ Global Management body, finally responded to this crisis and in 2007 enacted a 15 year recovery plan. From a small fishing boat out in the Donegal bay, he hooked, played and landed an incredible 968lb ABFT, below, setting a new European and Irish record that still stands in 2019.Ī number of fish were taken over the following 3 years but perhaps consistent with the huge decline occurring at that time in Bluefin numbers, after 2005 they pretty much disappeared from those Irish waters. Adrian Molloy, whose name would soon become synonymous with some of the best Atlantic Bluefin fishing in the world, achieved an incredible feat. What happened the following year set angling circles worldwide alight. This hugely significant event was the start of an amazing story, but the best was yet to come, by far…. Three fish were taken that season, including a new Irish record of 529lbs.
In September 2000, the first Irish rod caught Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (ABFT), was taken out of Killybegs, in the Donegal Bay. This article was first published on our Club’s sister, campaigning web site – Bluefin Tuna UK.
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