The Irish Government’s announcement that the basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) has received the status of ‘protected wild animal’ under the Wildlife Act has been praised by Loughs Agency. Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, made the…
A group of 16 young people came together last month for a five-day programme exploring the natural resources of the Carlingford catchment. The Carlingford Ambassador programme aims to connect young people to the waterways in their local area through discovering, conserving and protecting native flora and fauna. The young…
Loughs Agency has completed the 2022 Salmon Ambassadors programme and proudly announces the graduation of more than 200 new Salmon Ambassadors. Our interactive and hands-on learning programme encouraged pupils to learn about their local river system and included various activities and topics such as salmon life cycles, migration, conservation, preservation,…
Loughs Agency is advising anglers to help preserve salmon and trout stocks in rivers following prolonged periods of hot weather across both the Foyle and Carlingford catchments. These extreme weather conditions have led to low river flows, high water temperatures and low oxygen levels in many bodies of water. The…
Loughs Agency was delighted to welcome Charlie McConalogue, Minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine, to our zone at the Foyle Maritime Festival in July. The Minister was able to spend some time with the staff and experience our brand new ‘Marine Machine’, which featured a critters’ pond, biodiversity area…
Carlingford has been selected as one of five finalists in the Irish Times Best Place to Holiday in Ireland 2022 contest. At just over an hour’s drive away from Belfast and Dublin, Carlingford is a scenic wonderland offering mesmerising mountains, stunning valleys and so much more. Situated…
Loughs Agency has released the following statement in relation to a fish kill in the River Mourne: A number of dead adult salmon have been discovered in the lower stretch of the River Mourne, Strabane. Loughs Agency Fishery Officers are currently attempting to recover a number…
Loughs Agency has issued an alert requesting that anglers or members of the general public report any sightings of Pacific pink salmon in the Foyle or Carlingford river systems. These migratory species of salmon, also known as ‘humpback’ salmon, are native to river systems in the…
Loughs Agency has released the following statement regarding the November 2020 Meenbog incident: The pollution case relating to the Meenbog incident was heard at Letterkenny District Court on 7th June 2022 as FCILC v Planree Limited. The evidence supplied by Loughs Agency under the relevant provisions of the Fisheries Acts was…
Loughs Agency will have a visible presence during the upcoming Foyle Maritime Festival, with a wide range of water and land activities for the whole family to enjoy. The activities will mostly be based at the Agency’s zone along the River Foyle and bookings are now open. Revellers can enjoy…
The internationally acclaimed Foyle Maritime Festival makes its highly anticipated return to the banks of the River Foyle this July, alongside the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race fleet. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend the festival, with the landmark event set…
Thursday 9th June sees the launch of the ‘Finn Through the Lens’ exhibition, a stunning photographic display of the majestic River Finn from photographer Emer O’Shea. This photographic exhibition charts the meanderings of the Finn from its source in Fintown to its exit from Donegal at…
Loughs Agency are delighted to be a strategic partner with Derry City and Strabane District Council for the Foyle Maritime Festival. Loughs Agency along with our delivery partners are offering the public a wide range of activities and spectacles on the water from Kayaking to Canoeing to Yoga on Stand-Up…
Loughs Agency has released the following statement regarding the escape of rainbow trout: Loughs Agency and DAERA Inland Fisheries have detected an escape of a limited number of rainbow trout from a facility in the Foyle Area, with investigations currently being conducted by DAERA officials. In the meantime, any…
Interested parties are invited to apply for a licence to fish the 2022/2023 Native Oyster fishery. Applicants will be required to submit a completed application to the address listed below. Due to the Covid-19 situation, all applications must be delivered via post. It is the responsibility…
Loughs Agency has welcomed Europe’s top marine scientists to the northwest for the European Tracking Network (ETN) Annual Meeting, with delegates from across the continent attending the three-day event in Derry/Londonderry. The conference, which is funded by the EU’s COST Action programme, took place in the City Hotel Derry…
Loughs Agency has made the decision to retain salmon carcass tag numbers for licence holders for the 2022 season in line with the previous year’s policy. The Agency introduced the interim policy for the 2020/2021 season whereby the number of tags issued with a game angling licence was reduced to…
Loughs Agency and Woodland Trust Northern Ireland have officially announced the launch of their new biodiversity project TREES, within the Foyle and Carlingford catchment areas. The primary aim of the TREES project is to protect and restore vital habitats for wildlife in rivers and trees. The project uses a nature-friendly…
Post-primary schools in the Foyle and Carlingford area are being encouraged to discover, explore, and conserve more this year through Loughs Agency’s Ambassador Programme. Loughs Agency has been running the Ambassador programme for several years, with close to 200 young people graduating. During the programme, young people complete activities that enable…
Loughs Agency’s Education Team are currently delivering the Salmon Ambassador programme with primary schools and national schools in the Foyle and Carlingford catchments. So far, pupils have been learning about the amazing lifecycle of the Salmon, from their early beginnings as tiny eggs right through to the adult stage. During…