Remember George when you were a kid , walking into a meadow and the Grasshoppers would be everywhere. I saw ONE grasshopper this year and two last year. As far as rivers are concerned, the government are only interested in what goes on above the surface, not below. I remember the Barrow nearly sixty years ago. Salmon visibly moving up river, all the Mayfly and shoals of coarse fish. Nearly all gone now. There was a big coarse fishing match on the Barrow above St. Mullins in 1981. The next day all the dead Bream/hybrids were washed down river into canal.
Heartbreaking indeed, im like yourself, George, passionate about river fly fishing all my life, unfortunately its the same, the length and breath of the country, like everything else nothing will be done to its to late! Great video all the same 👏
Our rivers and countryside have changed so much since we were young boys George not for the good I'm afraid and it's not going to get better keep up the great work George my friend
Thanks for highlighting this George, maith thu. It is the same with our rivers in Clare, the trout-iest trout water is producing 0 fish and has been in steady decline year on year. It is very sad. Unfortunately those who care are the vast minority, and anyone else despite what they might say- do not care or have the required awareness of these ecosystems to help improve the situation. It's tragic.
@@springerspanielful A recent client told me about Trout Unlimited in the US. They banded together and lobbied against other groups and law makers. They've managed to preserve a huge ecosystem for native fish and perhaps something similar would work here.
People don't realise what fragile environments the rivers are. In England too, there are multiple threats from pollution, abstraction, eutrophication, you can see the water quality change year on year. Even the river banks are infested with alien species like Himalayan Balsam, Giant Hogweed, and Japanese Knotweed, you need a machete to make a swim. Your fellow countryman Feargal Sharkey draws attention to issues, but it's an uphill battle against big money and general ignorance.
Wow George, a heartfelt plea indeed. Unfortunately just the same on the upper Liffey with discharges from water treatment plants and local sewage plants and don't get me started on the neglect of the Dodder where I used to fish as a boy during school lunch break and again after school at 4:30 and again after dinner until dark. Now the only way you would know there is even a river there is if you hear it between all those willow that meet in the middle from each side choking out the sunlight essential for life beneath.
Very sad... this happened to our Barrow River here 30 years ago and nothing could stop it. We basically have a dead river now. I have fished the Suir a good bit over the past 20 years and could see it starting to happen there. Unfortunately the culprits are too big and the agencies powerless or uninterested in stopping them.
Thanks George, when you think that our government is looking for a derogation on nitrates and phosphates which are the main factor creating this problem, they will do nothing till its too late....I fish the loughs in the west and its a similat problem there. L. Carra is on the verge of an ecological disaster, 30 years ago you could have 20 fish to the boat in a day , now you would be lucky to get one. The short sightness of politicians is appalling .
There is no doubt that farming is a major issue when it comes to the health of our rivers. However i know timber harvesting mostly in the upper reaches of our rivers is causing catastrophic damage. I know this first hand having spent the last thirty five years working in the industry. I am a woodsman that uses horses for timber extraction. While living in Ireland i had constant battles with coillte trying to persuade them to have a more sensitive approach when it came to harvesting near rivers, lakes and even more important our feeder streams. All to no avail i may add. I now live in Scotland and its no different here, land vandalism at its worst. Thousands of acres of sitka spruce plantations most of which were deep ploughed causing huge run off and increasing the acidity of our rivers. Less bug life , decrease in overall size of fish . Rivers rise and fall at such an alarming rate compared to times past. Frustrating is an understatement.
Well done for making this video. We have the same problem in Herefordshire & Wales. It's a hell of a task to unpick the causes. Man with all his knowledge is still the only one who messes on his own doorstep. Why? Best wishes to you. Al.
I agree with you 100% some of the best places for trout and salmon fishing in the ardfinnan area have become unfishable in the last few years its heart breaking to see that nothing is being done about it
Fair play for speaking the truth ..The river Liffey in the middle sections at Straffan for instance is a dead river now and I’m fishing it since the early 1980’s.. it’s devoid of life except for pike and coarse fish. I’m of the view the various streams of contaminants are concentrated now due to extreme water extraction at Blessington in the upper reaches .. there’s practically zero fly life and hard to see any way back for it. Approx 80 salmon make it through the fish pass in Leixslip dam and that’s all that’s left to populate the entire middle and upper sections- not good.
Man i feel so sad for you and most all (apologies) for the Suir. We have the same issues here in France and the fight takes very long. The cause for cattle increase is mainly European policies.
You are bang on George. Our local small rivers like the multeen have been ruined for the last thirty years. Lots of breaceens but no larger trout. I've even noticed there are no herons on our local streams and they were always there before
The stretch of the river barrow where I fish is gone the same George, I cannot fish the stretch of water after the month of May. I actually have a photo of cows grazing on the bullrushes in the middle of the river. It is getting worse every year.
My God, what a shame. Here where i live, on the Apennines in central south Italy, all the rivers have no more fish, no more water and no water insects. Often, especially in summer, the flow is fed only by sewers and industrial drains. I've to drive for at least 1 hour to reach a river with some fish in it. In the range of 70/80 Km there's no more fish in the rivers. To think that all this has changed during my short life (I'm 52), I imagine that the situation is totally irreversible.
George, unfortunately it’s happening all over the country and the IFI are doing nothing to help the cause. I have five different rivers with in a 10 mile radius of my home and they are all the same, can not fish them from the middle of may. Great video and an Excellent way of highlighting the problem we have here in Ireland with our rivers. I bet it doesn’t happen in England because the rivers are well managed.
Clonmel is also pretty bad George, its been like this for years also I'm gone bluein the face from saying it. All through the town centre its destroyed with sewage/waste invasive plants line the banks hogweed etc. Politicians will spend money on a stupid canoe course "for tourism" for them to paddle is shite basically. Its time to highlight these issue with the eu habitat directives because the local councillors don't care one bit. Because they can't make money off fishing here
George George George Please look at what the port of Waterford ( dairy port ) has done to the river suir river bed levelling dredging river retraining groyns SSE at great island Louisiana pacific. It’s destroyed dead WIPE OUT recently I was given records from the former SRFB anglers and fishermen paid in to restocking hatcheries some great years followed The problem the fisheries officers have is one most of them know noting the second and most important is they cannot act the money in the dairy industry has the powers that be paid off From Waterford port to the dairy coops there all the problem. LAWPRO ( waters and communities some joke are only putting lipstick on a pig. . Your welcome to come visit the destruction in the lower suir
Much the same here in North Yorkshire. We are very lucky to still have Salmon and Sea Trout migrating up the two rivers I fish, but the numbers have been decimated over the last 10 years. The main problem for us is the water companies, and I make no apology for naming United Utilities and Yorkshire Water as two of the worst in England. The amount of raw sewage entering our rivers and lakes, namely Lake Windermere, is completely unacceptable, but the Environment Agency and Natural England two government agencies are powerless in prevent it happening. Fortunately, on the River Ribble, we have the Ribble Rivers Trust, who are working tirelessly to improve the river environment. As Secretary of Settle Anglers Association Limited, i do fear for the long-term future of angling unless drastic improvements are made for the sake of our rivers and waterways.
Lough neagh is the same. Officials blamed the heat, last year they blamed the farmers (due to the rain we got)... what about the metals that's in the rain? It may be the problem and our drinking water presently tastes very moldy. I don't think it's going to get any better.
Breaks my heart to hear this George. Was in wales at the weekend and friends telling me about the once great river wye and how it has been decimated. Was depressing. This is coming for the suir. Money beats nature. Fuck money.
IFI AND LAWPRO are in bed with the dairy industry top people in these organisations are from the dairy industry background. In the early 1970s anglers snap net drift net men paid for restocking the result was the boom years for salmon and trout A retired fishery officer years ago stated industrial agriculture was killing the rivers
This makes the blood boil. As others have noted; hope the various clubs can band together with other fishermen, nationally and bring this to the attention of the powers that be.
Depressing George but thank you for bringing attention to the situation. Sticking our heads in the ground certainly won’t lead anywhere positive. With farming such a strong lobby in Ireland, I fear it will be donkeys’ years before we get anywhere. Although to be fair, the farmers lot is not an easy one. Has to be some compromise though, and I’m sure many farmers are also concerned about the environment.
Lough Neagh up North here is dying also. Every river running into is declining. But our Government is at least starting plans to save that ecosystem. Hopefully this video will reach out to the right people where you are.
Alas, it's the same for us here in Devon George. Massive decline in insects,birds,small mammals, etc. You can always tell if heavy rain is forecast because our village stinks of slurry as the farmers rush to throw shit on the fields in the hope it is flushed away into the rivers. There are too many animals on too little land. Add to this the cocktail of pesticides,insecticides, molluscicide, and of course glyphosate then its not surprising that everything is dying. We also have the joy of raw sewage being regularly dumped into our streams! I remember reading about the Suir as a young boy and the amazing dry fly fishing various writers had experienced. I knew the river had declined since then but didn't realise how bad it was, how very sad for yourself and all fly fishers. Would you mind if i linked this video in the description of my next video? The more anglers that hear this, the better.
Here in the US, agricultural runoff, unchecked commercial and residential development, pollution, climate change, etc. are having a detrimental impact on water quality, insect life, and invariably fishing. Sad to see it happening in a beautiful place like Ireland. The hatches of mayfly species in particular have noticeably declined in recent years.
I was interrupted George. Just wanted to add to my comment below: " Climate change...when we can't even look after and nurture our own environment". To conclude, I have a book written by Mike Weaver nearly 40 years ago who extolled the beauty of the River Suir and it's excellent diverse fly life. This is a tragedy my friend.
Nenagh River nearby exactly same problem George. Choked with algae. Overenrichment . Your local politicians called for the river to be cleaned up in Thurles. Their main concern was the flow was being impeeded and their was a strong possibility of good agricultural land being flooded.🤣
Hi George, thanks for videos and pointing out the life cycle in the river. We had similar in the Blackwater in Monaghan. Local river was dredged 20+ years ago taking all the bends and natural flow out of the river for miles. No ebbs or banks where the fish would lie. Adjoining bog doesn't flood anymore and with that came the loss of Trout, Duck, Geese, Curlew, Snipe and Corn Crake. Now it's completely devoid of all wetlands birds. This was all lauded as progress from EU money. In terms of your river and the likes, I believe it will take fishing and hunting clubs to join forces and start cleaning the rivers (if councils don't intervene) and shame the government into taking action. Bring it to the attention of the likes of The Irish Hunting Podcast for coverage! Good luck with the duck season ........ and shells with no lead......ahem 😅
It's the same story on the River Clwyd in North Wales. Intensive dairy farming and other agricultural practices have polluted the rivers, along with untreated sewage discharges. Weak regulation by the authorities and a few greedy farmers can destroy the fragile river environment. People need to wake up to the problem.
Well said, the heartbreak is self-evident. It's shocking that practically everyone will agree that this is happening in so many rivers throughout éiRe. I am looking forward to seeing my first butterfly this year, and I've counted 6 wasps so far, which is absolutely shocking. I made a report recently to IFI and the EPA regarding sewage into my local river. The response to date has been both baffling and confusing. One came yesterday via email, and I'm at a loss to comprehend how inadequate it is. Essentially, we have looked, discussed, and now we move on. There is no explanation, no solution, and really a response that says, "we don't care." Needless to say, I will be following this up. A pipe carrying untreated effluent into a river where children and adults swim, but let's not investigate where it is coming from.. I wish I could say the response was shocking, but unfortunately, all I can say is this is the typical style of reply. Sad
Great to see this being brought to everyone’s attention, unfortunately nothing seems to be happening, I taught the European Union wouldn’t allow this to happen, the same happening with fish farming. I don’t think joining EEC was such a good idea 😢🎣🎣🤷♂️
The eu is the only thing preventing even greater pollution..If the government here weren't controlled to some degree it would be a free for all altogether..
George, an excellent video! It’s when one is shown the results of what is happening to this beautiful river that unfortunately is happening to so many rivers around the country. Some of that €14 Billon that Apple has to pay to the government would go along way to building water treatment plants in many towns and villages to clean up our environment. What a shame that IFI who has responsibility for our inland fisheries are powerless to do anything about it?
We don't need a heap of euros to sort this, it's more to do with political will, and long term thinking. Our lot only think about the next election and the bare minimum to get ass in seats. Our green party form part of the current government and should be doing more to come up with solutions around this, plus fish farms at sea, etc.
@@VonLugersButter There has been a lot of thinking done and numerous reports written down through the years and George showed the result of that in his video today? We need financial resources to build water treatment plants to clean our waters and a reduction in the national dairy herd and the over use of fertilisers and slurry which is destroying our rivers. It was not easy for George to produce that video as he is a man with great experience and he can see his river dying before his eyes and he wants something done about it. as we all do!
@@Camerahide I'm not arguing, I agree. You don't need a report to know intensive agri is a root cause. At any given time you can go near a river or lake and get a strong smell of the shite someone is spreading, usually before a rainfall so it gets well and truly washed into the water system. You don't need a report to know all that is washing into the rivers and lakes. And that goes into the system outside of any treatment facility. While money is required, it's not the major obstacle in resolving this.
Leaving Denmark after 18 years in a few days. During that time, I've loved chasing seatrout in the fjords and the along the coast.... I've seen exactly the same happening here too, visibly seeing the water quality deteriorate. This year I struggled to find any prawns hiding in the weeds, just like the fly life back home...the seaweed is covered with algae which clearly isn't a hospitable environment for the prawns. Agriculture is widely blamed for eutrophication of the fjords....but they simply have too much economic clout and no government will the take serious action needed in favour of the environment. Funnily enough, Denmark also sells itself as a pristine paradise, the irony!!......So I'm off back to Ireland and will be living in Magherafelt, I had been really looking forward to the move and chasing dollaghan on the moyola. But, I'm sure you are aware, it seems the issues in lough Neagh and its tributaries is even on another level to both the Suir and the Danish coast. Like you George, I have fished and also kayaked since I was a young boy, well over 40 years and there is no other word than depressing that can describe what has happened.
DENMARK 🇩🇰 did not renew their derrogation this year licence for farmers to spread over 170kg nitrogen per hectare, Maybe in a few years, the rivers ect will improve?
It's the same the length & breadth of the country, George. Trout fishing on what was the cream of Irish rivers in both the North and South of Ireland are sadly only a shadow of their former selves. The death of these once pristine and bountyful waterways is a deterement to us all. Alas It ain't going to get any better folks.
Very sad situation but its the reality. My local liffey is the very same. Open sewerage running into the river. Really need to try and get a collective push on to all local authorities and government to do something before its to late. Slan
We also have problems with our rivers and agriculture in the US. In the west where so many of our blue ribbon trout streams exist there are massive water draws for irrigation. these draws reduce the stream water, raise the water temperature and reduce the stream flow. As a result fish populations are declining and seasonal spawning is reduced.
Thanks for this, George. Similar thing happening in the the UK (Scotland is faring better, possibly due to cooler and wetter climate). I'm with you on agri pollution, I live in an area with a lot of urbanised rivers, which now produce better trout fishing than the "proper "rivers! Is this due to runoff from motorways, housing, parks and at the top of the catchments, moorland? rather than intensely farmed pasture ?? Re sewage, its always been here but at one time only anglers were outraged. Now canoeists and wild swimmers have joined the resistance, in my view a positive. Me n mrs don't consume diary products anymore there's plenty of healthier vegan options. River anglers can't complain if they contribute to the problem! Looking forward to fishing next time! Great work 👍👍👍
The sickening part of all this is that if you wanted to get in there and reverse some of that damage, cut weed, etc. You would be so tied up in environmental legislation and screening reports that you could never get anything done. The same authority that are letting the rivers decline would be stopping you sort the problem. Hard to see how this will get rectified George but hopefully nature will find a way.
So sorry to see a beautful river in such a state Could and a few anglers gettogether and try to clear it up Friendly farmer with a digger would have those bullrushs away in a few hours A few heavy rakes on ropes would make short work of the blanket weed and you could leave it on the bank to let the insects crawl back into the water Had to do this on a still water I fish and two evenings made light work of all the weeds Just thought !!
A sad story repeated almost countrywide George. Times have changed, but not sure farming practices have changed with them. Agri now accounts for just 1% of national GDP, and 39% of national carbon emissions, an imbalance that is the worst in Europe, and the effects on our waters is obvious. No point anyone pointing the finger at farmers - it's a national policy of intensification at any cost which they're following - and without farmers on side the rivers and lakes will have no chance. It will probably take a mass human and dog poisoning event to make people/voters take notice, then there will be years of hand-wringing/inquiries/investigations, then committees, then planning, then consulting, then tendering, then injunctions, then more planning, consulting, retendering, then a pause for a straw poll to see if voters are still engaged with the issue, at which point it might or might not be addressed. In the intervening 25 years I guess we just have to fight locally for the right of rivers to flow freeer of weed, dredging, abstraction, littering. And rivers do recover. My local river, the Dodder, has gone from a polluted drain 30 years ago to a thriving spate river with healthy fly hatches, wildlife, plenty of small but hardy trout - all down to local action by Dodder Anglers and Dodder Action. So there's hope yet and we anglers have to cling to that like a sedge on a bullrush during an evening rise.
@@springerspanielful and your video didn't dishearten me at all, inspired me to head to the river for an hour or two right afterwards. More power to you.
… this man knows what he’s talking about re how Irish politicians handle environmental crises- your comment should be framed , I’ve rarely or never seen a more precise synopsis of their collective bullshit approach to environmental crimes
One question: the problem you are talking about is also very important in Galicia (NW Spain) because we have the biggest dairy production in Spain. Now, are you talking about extensive ( free range) cattle management or intensive ( stabled) ? Because the problem lies mainly with the latter.
Jesus, that's insane George. There is a lot of issues about health of all rivers in Ireland. Up north where I live is not much better. Lough neagh it's getting hammered with pollution etc. Actually I was in Poland recently for few days and went to see river what I fished around 20 years ago. From river around 10 metres wide there is 1 metre left over grown with weeds. That's nuts. Damaged also caused by slurry, pollution etc. Government/fishing clubs need to do something about it. I wonder if it even possible to gather some people to clean it up somehow? Is it actually possible to clean it with ropes with anchor?
Any efforts to clean it up as you suggest could do more harm than good unfortunately, the only long term solution is a reduction in the national herd, which would be strongly resisted by the farming lobby, and upgrading of all sewage treatment facilities..
Hey George, unfortunately this is a global problem Read an interesting article a while ago and it puts a lot of the blame on the 70% reduction in fly life, on car tyres. The rubber contains forever chemicals that is detrimental to larve. That coupled with the problems of intensive farming and human and industrial waste does bode well for the rivers. Us Fishermen are on the front line watching and seeing what's going on we should band together with the various environmental groups and use our voice.
Heartbreaking George . I wish this video had millions of views. Some people don’t realise this is the same water ending up in our kitchen sink that’s laced in chemicals to make it usable. Where do we go from here? Do we care enough to actually do something of significance
Have you gotten Fly Fishers International, Trout Unlimited, or any local activist groups involved? Sometimes, you need to show them the beast and even loose it upon them. I saw a video somewhere of a river here in the US that was actually having to cultivate the river with something like a reel mower on a barge with a conveyor to extract the cut plants.
I live close to the river more but can no longer fish as a result of weed growth,it’s all down to greed for big milk cheques,and the farmers say we need to feed the world at the detriment of our countryside
George there's multiple clubs on the Suir and indeed Clonanav have a fairly established business there. Can everyone not band together and take the issue to the courts?
Scotlands knackered too. We have an asset stripping government not interested in Britain at all. We have illegal immigrants sleeping rough in woodlands with no clue about 'leave no trace'. We have sleeping bags strewn around, tents the lot all left soiled and half wrecked. Something tells me it'll get a lot worse before anything improves.
Hard to watch and understand how it got so bad so quickly, my local water is the upper barrow and it's as bad as what you've shown largely to intensive dairy farming (greed) , it's heartbreaking to see our waterways slowly dying in front of our eyes
The untreated sewage or partly cleaned will contain many toxic substances, drugs pharmaceuticals, industrial weed killer ie glyphosate which causes permanent damage to the environment, the Nore went the same way , so short sighted and depressing.
Obviously the government didn’t do a proper environmental impact assessment, and if they did do one and the farmers are not following the guidelines set out they should be held responsible and accountable to clean up the damage.
Rough shooting and hunting in general in Ireland 🇮🇪 is ruined by intensive agriculture.as well. I blame the EU for pushing this intensive mode of agriculture in the golden Vale. The EU and big money food companies want large scale farm's producing cheap food. To solve the pollution crises they could pay farmer's to rewild a few acres of their farms,buffer strips of woodland along rivers and streams, help to reduce flooding and filter the water.? There must be something that could be done to improve things?
The farmers are shooting themselves in the foot, and they don't see it . this will all backfire, i think the smaller farmers will be pushed out of business, they will sell their land or rent it to large scale farmers, ,in the future a lot of cattle in the golden Vale will be kept in feed lots. Fed by Arable crops and zero grazers, machinery collecting grass.the big farmers will claim they are saving d day. 😬
Well done George ,but unfortunately nobody cares anymore it's progress to the detriment of all life around it including rivers ,mountains ect look at the grouse for example ,we as club members up and down the river suir need to pull together as 1 and go to the authorities responsible and make our case ,not being wrapped up in club politics and I'm afraid until that happens you're words fall on deaf ears ,I've said it already several times this year to certain people responsible for certain clubs and was told basically we look after our own club waters what goes on in other clubs doesn't matter ,well I'm afraid while that's the attitude the river will die in our life time and other than the few that care which is very few in my experience of this nobody else does ,they are happy to fish the water but take no responsibility as to the state of them ,until people power in numbers address this the river is doomed it's time to open your eyes people see what's Infront of you .
Depressing George. We are all responsible for not getting this into the agenda for the current election. Most politicians are saying that they will support the derogation of the nitrates directive which is the opposite of what is required. Talk to your prospective TD .
Hi George, I have followed you for a number of years and never seen your beautiful river in this condition before. Absolutely shameful and ironic in this age of climate change rhetoric
George you are right and you are wrong in what you said about cattle numbers dairy cow numbers have increased substantially to in and around 1.5 cow's national at the same time as dairy numbers increased suckler cow's (beef cow that rears her own calf) numbers have declined from just over a million 12 years ago to 812,000 and is set to reduce further predictions are suckler cow could fall to 650,000 in three four year time. Expansion of the dairy herd is over regulations, ageing farmers are having a affect since the Ukraine war when fertiliser price sky rocketed fertiliser use has reduced slurry is more valuable last thing farmer's want is this fertiliser source leaving the farm it needed to grow grass chemical fertiliser is still not at pre Ukraine war price a fertiliser register was setup last the department knows what farmer's are buying and using. Farmer's are doing there bit more emphasis is put on getting clover into grass swards to pull down atmospheric nitrogen, more soil fertility testing more lime using targeted fertiliser application. What is not being done is upgrading of waste water treatment plants raw sewage with a cocktail of chemicals entering waterways and also rivers are not managed the way they were a 50-100 year's ago there is a belief that habitats should be left to do there own thing habitats have been managed by man for centuries. When rivers keeper's were controlling predators bank sides and river weeds plants even with raw sewage though no chemical cocktail just natural soups there was abundance of life.
Unfortunately the damage is ongoing, the farming lobby are resistant to change it appears, so much so the National Dairy Council were forced to remove a tv ad telling us all how environmentally friendly they were, the advertising standards authority all but told them there was no truth in the ad..
@springerspanielful. The far left are controlling the media and they are putting all the blame on animal agriculture whether it's nitrates in waterways or green house gases there is raw or semi treated sewage entering waterways all over the country you will never hear about from main stream media yet when testing showing increased nitrates levels in waterways agriculture is blamed as the soul villain. The national herd is set to contract it's happening in the suckler herd, dairy herd will shirk to a lot of small producers are existing in the coming years they are a ageing out of the sector increased regulations others looking at pulling back cow numbers. But of course sewage treatment plants will only get worse with ever increasing population nothing said now nothing will be said then.
Sad George …and it’s a global problem ….certainly duplicated in my part of the world …the loss of insect life particularly several mayfly species has a tragic effect …the contributors are definitely farming practices …uncontrolled and irresponsible use of herbicides and insecticides …water extraction for irrigation and of course climate change …Government oversight or care for our environment is a huge fail …just disgraceful really 🥲
Hi George, good video. The local river to me the boyne is in an identical state. Choked with bull rush and blanket weed.
Tragic..
Good video George. Really sad how our waterways are being treated. Our politicians and general public couldn't care less.
Regrettably they don't understand.
Remember George when you were a kid , walking into a meadow and the Grasshoppers would be everywhere. I saw ONE grasshopper this year and two last year. As far as rivers are concerned, the government are only interested in what goes on above the surface, not below. I remember the Barrow nearly sixty years ago. Salmon visibly moving up river, all the Mayfly and shoals of coarse fish. Nearly all gone now. There was a big coarse fishing match on the Barrow above St. Mullins in 1981. The next day all the dead Bream/hybrids were washed down river into canal.
Terribly sad story..
Cleveland Ohio decades back had a river literally catch on fire. It’s supposedly pristine now, so don’t give up.
Don't plan on giving up, but it's very depressing all the same..
Heartbreaking indeed, im like yourself, George, passionate about river fly fishing all my life, unfortunately its the same, the length and breath of the country, like everything else nothing will be done to its to late! Great video all the same 👏
Thanks Gary..
Our rivers and countryside have changed so much since we were young boys George not for the good I'm afraid and it's not going to get better keep up the great work George my friend
Will do Tommy..
Thanks for highlighting this George, maith thu. It is the same with our rivers in Clare, the trout-iest trout water is producing 0 fish and has been in steady decline year on year. It is very sad. Unfortunately those who care are the vast minority, and anyone else despite what they might say- do not care or have the required awareness of these ecosystems to help improve the situation. It's tragic.
I just hope it's not a lost cause..
@@springerspanielful A recent client told me about Trout Unlimited in the US. They banded together and lobbied against other groups and law makers. They've managed to preserve a huge ecosystem for native fish and perhaps something similar would work here.
That is a most insightful video, thank-you for taking the time to highlight this. Very much appreciated.
Glad it was helpful!
People don't realise what fragile environments the rivers are. In England too, there are multiple threats from pollution, abstraction, eutrophication, you can see the water quality change year on year. Even the river banks are infested with alien species like Himalayan Balsam, Giant Hogweed, and Japanese Knotweed, you need a machete to make a swim. Your fellow countryman Feargal Sharkey draws attention to issues, but it's an uphill battle against big money and general ignorance.
Big money and greed..
Wow George, a heartfelt plea indeed. Unfortunately just the same on the upper Liffey with discharges from water treatment plants and local sewage plants and don't get me started on the neglect of the Dodder where I used to fish as a boy during school lunch break and again after school at 4:30 and again after dinner until dark. Now the only way you would know there is even a river there is if you hear it between all those willow that meet in the middle from each side choking out the sunlight essential for life beneath.
It's a national issue, every waterway is affected.
Very sad... this happened to our Barrow River here 30 years ago and nothing could stop it. We basically have a dead river now. I have fished the Suir a good bit over the past 20 years and could see it starting to happen there. Unfortunately the culprits are too big and the agencies powerless or uninterested in stopping them.
All true..
Thanks George, when you think that our government is looking for a derogation on nitrates and phosphates which are the main factor creating this problem, they will do nothing till its too late....I fish the loughs in the west and its a similat problem there. L. Carra is on the verge of an ecological disaster, 30 years ago you could have 20 fish to the boat in a day , now you would be lucky to get one. The short sightness of politicians is appalling .
The farming lobby wields a lot of power..
There is no doubt that farming is a major issue when it comes to the health of our rivers. However i know timber harvesting mostly in the upper reaches of our rivers is causing catastrophic damage. I know this first hand having spent the last thirty five years working in the industry. I am a woodsman that uses horses for timber extraction. While living in Ireland i had constant battles with coillte trying to persuade them to have a more sensitive approach when it came to harvesting near rivers, lakes and even more important our feeder streams. All to no avail i may add. I now live in Scotland and its no different here, land vandalism at its worst. Thousands of acres of sitka spruce plantations most of which were deep ploughed causing huge run off and increasing the acidity of our rivers. Less bug life , decrease in overall size of fish . Rivers rise and fall at such an alarming rate compared to times past. Frustrating is an understatement.
Thanks for highlighting this, just another disaster, and it seems that state bodies are guilty too.
Well done for making this video. We have the same problem in Herefordshire & Wales. It's a hell of a task to unpick the causes. Man with all his knowledge is still the only one who messes on his own doorstep. Why? Best wishes to you. Al.
Thanks Al..
I agree with you 100% some of the best places for trout and salmon fishing in the ardfinnan area have become unfishable in the last few years its heart breaking to see that nothing is being done about it
Pressure needs to be applied.
Fair play for speaking the truth ..The river Liffey in the middle sections at Straffan for instance is a dead river now and I’m fishing it since the early 1980’s.. it’s devoid of life except for pike and coarse fish. I’m of the view the various streams of contaminants are concentrated now due to extreme water extraction at Blessington in the upper reaches .. there’s practically zero fly life and hard to see any way back for it. Approx 80 salmon make it through the fish pass in Leixslip dam and that’s all that’s left to populate the entire middle and upper sections- not good.
Another sad tale..
Man i feel so sad for you and most all (apologies) for the Suir.
We have the same issues here in France and the fight takes very long. The cause for cattle increase is mainly European policies.
Yes indeed, policies need to change..
Good video George keep up the good work . Fair play to you good to see someone with enough passion to want to try get something done .
Many thanks.
You are bang on George. Our local small rivers like the multeen have been ruined for the last thirty years. Lots of breaceens but no larger trout. I've even noticed there are no herons on our local streams and they were always there before
Every river in the country is in similar condition, sad to say..
Very sad George! The rivers of England and Wales are also in serious decline.
A worldwide issue it appears..
The stretch of the river barrow where I fish is gone the same George, I cannot fish the stretch of water after the month of May. I actually have a photo of cows grazing on the bullrushes in the middle of the river. It is getting worse every year.
And there seems to be no end..
My God, what a shame. Here where i live, on the Apennines in central south Italy, all the rivers have no more fish, no more water and no water insects. Often, especially in summer, the flow is fed only by sewers and industrial drains. I've to drive for at least 1 hour to reach a river with some fish in it. In the range of 70/80 Km there's no more fish in the rivers. To think that all this has changed during my short life (I'm 52), I imagine that the situation is totally irreversible.
It may not be too late here in Ireland if there's intervention sooner rather than later.
George, unfortunately it’s happening all over the country and the IFI are doing nothing to help the cause. I have five different rivers with in a 10 mile radius of my home and they are all the same, can not fish them from the middle of may. Great video and an Excellent way of highlighting the problem we have here in Ireland with our rivers. I bet it doesn’t happen in England because the rivers are well managed.
Well said
Clonmel is also pretty bad George, its been like this for years also I'm gone bluein the face from saying it.
All through the town centre its destroyed with sewage/waste invasive plants line the banks hogweed etc.
Politicians will spend money on a stupid canoe course "for tourism" for them to paddle is shite basically.
Its time to highlight these issue with the eu habitat directives because the local councillors don't care one bit.
Because they can't make money off fishing here
Well said my man..
Good video you hit the nail on the head It is the story of many trout streams in parts of the country where there is intensive farming
It need to change..
George George George
Please look at what the port of Waterford ( dairy port ) has done to the river suir river bed levelling dredging river retraining groyns
SSE at great island Louisiana pacific. It’s destroyed dead WIPE OUT recently I was given records from the former SRFB anglers and fishermen paid in to restocking hatcheries some great years followed
The problem the fisheries officers have is one most of them know noting the second and most important is they cannot act the money in the dairy industry has the powers that be paid off
From Waterford port to the dairy coops there all the problem.
LAWPRO ( waters and communities some joke are only putting lipstick on a pig.
. Your welcome to come visit the destruction in the lower suir
All sad stuff.
Much the same here in North Yorkshire. We are very lucky to still have Salmon and Sea Trout migrating up the two rivers I fish, but the numbers have been decimated over the last 10 years. The main problem for us is the water companies, and I make no apology for naming United Utilities and Yorkshire Water as two of the worst in England. The amount of raw sewage entering our rivers and lakes, namely Lake Windermere, is completely unacceptable, but the Environment Agency and Natural England two government agencies are powerless in prevent it happening. Fortunately, on the River Ribble, we have the Ribble Rivers Trust, who are working tirelessly to improve the river environment. As Secretary of Settle Anglers Association Limited, i do fear for the long-term future of angling unless drastic improvements are made for the sake of our rivers and waterways.
Seems to be a worldwide problem..
Lough neagh is the same. Officials blamed the heat, last year they blamed the farmers (due to the rain we got)... what about the metals that's in the rain? It may be the problem and our drinking water presently tastes very moldy. I don't think it's going to get any better.
Saw a report on Lough Neagh, green sludge..
Sorry to see the decline in this beautiful river which you hold dear and have obviously treasured since you were a young boy.
It is indeed heartbreaking..
Breaks my heart to hear this George. Was in wales at the weekend and friends telling me about the once great river wye and how it has been decimated. Was depressing. This is coming for the suir. Money beats nature. Fuck money.
Money trumps everything it seems..
IFI AND LAWPRO are in bed with the dairy industry top people in these organisations are from the dairy industry background.
In the early 1970s anglers snap net drift net men paid for restocking the result was the boom years for salmon and trout
A retired fishery officer years ago stated industrial agriculture was killing the rivers
All true..
This makes the blood boil. As others have noted; hope the various clubs can band together with other fishermen, nationally and bring this to the attention of the powers that be.
There are moves afoot..
Depressing George but thank you for bringing attention to the situation. Sticking our heads in the ground certainly won’t lead anywhere positive. With farming such a strong lobby in Ireland, I fear it will be donkeys’ years before we get anywhere. Although to be fair, the farmers lot is not an easy one. Has to be some compromise though, and I’m sure many farmers are also concerned about the environment.
We need to work together with all interested parties.
Lough Neagh up North here is dying also. Every river running into is declining. But our Government is at least starting plans to save that ecosystem. Hopefully this video will reach out to the right people where you are.
Saw a tv report on Lough Neagh, horrendous..
Alas, it's the same for us here in Devon George. Massive decline in insects,birds,small mammals, etc. You can always tell if heavy rain is forecast because our village stinks of slurry as the farmers rush to throw shit on the fields in the hope it is flushed away into the rivers. There are too many animals on too little land. Add to this the cocktail of pesticides,insecticides, molluscicide, and of course glyphosate then its not surprising that everything is dying. We also have the joy of raw sewage being regularly dumped into our streams!
I remember reading about the Suir as a young boy and the amazing dry fly fishing various writers had experienced. I knew the river had declined since then but didn't realise how bad it was, how very sad for yourself and all fly fishers.
Would you mind if i linked this video in the description of my next video? The more anglers that hear this, the better.
No bother, feel free to use the video, and thanks for your input.
Here in the US, agricultural runoff, unchecked commercial and residential development, pollution, climate change, etc. are having a detrimental impact on water quality, insect life, and invariably fishing. Sad to see it happening in a beautiful place like Ireland. The hatches of mayfly species in particular have noticeably declined in recent years.
We've lost countless insect species, most likely never to return..
Can see it in the Fergus and Scarriff as well, tragic. Hopefully clubs and fishermen put pressure on the powers that be and something starts happening
Everyone can help..
Thanks George, this needed saying !
Indeed.
Fair play for high lighting this George, don't know what to say, shocking.
Hard to find words..
May need to change name to River Sewer. That may stir the interest / ire of officialdom.
It's heading that way regrettably.
I was interrupted George. Just wanted to add to my comment below: " Climate change...when we can't even look after and nurture our own environment". To conclude, I have a book written by Mike Weaver nearly 40 years ago who extolled the beauty of the River Suir and it's excellent diverse fly life. This is a tragedy my friend.
I met Mike Weaver and got him to sign his book, a wonderful publication. He extolled the virtues of the Suir therein..
@@springerspanielful I've never met him George but I've corresponded with him many times and spoken to him over the phone. A lovely man
Nenagh River nearby exactly same problem George. Choked with algae. Overenrichment . Your local politicians called for the river to be cleaned up in Thurles. Their main concern was the flow was being impeeded and their was a strong possibility of good agricultural land being flooded.🤣
Nothing new there then..
@@johnfinn3756 and the golf course was at risk John. That's where their priorities are laying.
Hi George, thanks for videos and pointing out the life cycle in the river. We had similar in the Blackwater in Monaghan. Local river was dredged 20+ years ago taking all the bends and natural flow out of the river for miles. No ebbs or banks where the fish would lie. Adjoining bog doesn't flood anymore and with that came the loss of Trout, Duck, Geese, Curlew, Snipe and Corn Crake. Now it's completely devoid of all wetlands birds. This was all lauded as progress from EU money.
In terms of your river and the likes, I believe it will take fishing and hunting clubs to join forces and start cleaning the rivers (if councils don't intervene) and shame the government into taking action.
Bring it to the attention of the likes of The Irish Hunting Podcast for coverage!
Good luck with the duck season ........ and shells with no lead......ahem 😅
Many thanks for your contribution..
Great video,all so true,
Thanks Michael..
It's the same story on the River Clwyd in North Wales. Intensive dairy farming and other agricultural practices have polluted the rivers, along with untreated sewage discharges. Weak regulation by the authorities and a few greedy farmers can destroy the fragile river environment. People need to wake up to the problem.
They seem to be asleep..
Well said, the heartbreak is self-evident. It's shocking that practically everyone will agree that this is happening in so many rivers throughout éiRe. I am looking forward to seeing my first butterfly this year, and I've counted 6 wasps so far, which is absolutely shocking. I made a report recently to IFI and the EPA regarding sewage into my local river. The response to date has been both baffling and confusing. One came yesterday via email, and I'm at a loss to comprehend how inadequate it is. Essentially, we have looked, discussed, and now we move on. There is no explanation, no solution, and really a response that says, "we don't care." Needless to say, I will be following this up. A pipe carrying untreated effluent into a river where children and adults swim, but let's not investigate where it is coming from.. I wish I could say the response was shocking, but unfortunately, all I can say is this is the typical style of reply. Sad
Baffling and confusing is their trademark..
Great to see this being brought to everyone’s attention, unfortunately nothing seems to be happening, I taught the European Union wouldn’t allow this to happen, the same happening with fish farming. I don’t think joining EEC was such a good idea 😢🎣🎣🤷♂️
The eu is the only thing preventing even greater pollution..If the government here weren't controlled to some degree it would be a free for all altogether..
George, an excellent video! It’s when one is shown the results of what is happening to this beautiful river that unfortunately is happening to so many rivers around the country. Some of that €14 Billon that Apple has to pay to the government would go along way to building water treatment plants in many towns and villages to clean up our environment. What a shame that IFI who has responsibility for our inland fisheries are powerless to do anything about it?
We don't need a heap of euros to sort this, it's more to do with political will, and long term thinking. Our lot only think about the next election and the bare minimum to get ass in seats. Our green party form part of the current government and should be doing more to come up with solutions around this, plus fish farms at sea, etc.
@@VonLugersButter There has been a lot of thinking done and numerous reports written down through the years and George showed the result of that in his video today? We need financial resources to build water treatment plants to clean our waters and a reduction in the national dairy herd and the over use of fertilisers and slurry which is destroying our rivers. It was not easy for George to produce that video as he is a man with great experience and he can see his river dying before his eyes and he wants something done about it. as we all do!
@@Camerahide I'm not arguing, I agree. You don't need a report to know intensive agri is a root cause. At any given time you can go near a river or lake and get a strong smell of the shite someone is spreading, usually before a rainfall so it gets well and truly washed into the water system. You don't need a report to know all that is washing into the rivers and lakes. And that goes into the system outside of any treatment facility.
While money is required, it's not the major obstacle in resolving this.
That's a good idea, how to deal with the farming lobby is an entirely different kettle of fish..
The greens in fairness to them advocate for the environment ,however they are a small minority..
Leaving Denmark after 18 years in a few days. During that time, I've loved chasing seatrout in the fjords and the along the coast.... I've seen exactly the same happening here too, visibly seeing the water quality deteriorate. This year I struggled to find any prawns hiding in the weeds, just like the fly life back home...the seaweed is covered with algae which clearly isn't a hospitable environment for the prawns. Agriculture is widely blamed for eutrophication of the fjords....but they simply have too much economic clout and no government will the take serious action needed in favour of the environment. Funnily enough, Denmark also sells itself as a pristine paradise, the irony!!......So I'm off back to Ireland and will be living in Magherafelt, I had been really looking forward to the move and chasing dollaghan on the moyola. But, I'm sure you are aware, it seems the issues in lough Neagh and its tributaries is even on another level to both the Suir and the Danish coast. Like you George, I have fished and also kayaked since I was a young boy, well over 40 years and there is no other word than depressing that can describe what has happened.
DENMARK 🇩🇰 did not renew their derrogation this year licence for farmers to spread over 170kg nitrogen per hectare, Maybe in a few years, the rivers ect will improve?
Thanks for your contribution..Agus Fáilte go hÉireann.
It's the same the length & breadth of the country, George. Trout fishing on what was the cream of Irish rivers in both the North and South of Ireland are sadly only a shadow of their former selves. The death of these once pristine and bountyful waterways is a deterement to us all. Alas It ain't going to get any better folks.
A depressing thought..
Well done George great video it’s very sad I hope something can be done ✔️
It's going to take every effort..
Very sad situation but its the reality. My local liffey is the very same. Open sewerage running into the river. Really need to try and get a collective push on to all local authorities and government to do something before its to late. Slan
Indeed..
We also have problems with our rivers and agriculture in the US. In the west where so many of our blue ribbon trout streams exist there are massive water draws for irrigation. these draws reduce the stream water, raise the water temperature and reduce the stream flow. As a result fish populations are declining and seasonal spawning is reduced.
Seems to be a worldwide issue..
Thanks for this, George.
Similar thing happening in the the UK (Scotland is faring better, possibly due to cooler and wetter climate).
I'm with you on agri pollution, I live in an area with a lot of urbanised rivers, which now produce better trout fishing than the "proper "rivers! Is this due to runoff from motorways, housing, parks and at the top of the catchments, moorland? rather than intensely farmed pasture ??
Re sewage, its always been here but at one time only anglers were outraged. Now canoeists and wild swimmers have joined the resistance, in my view a positive.
Me n mrs don't consume diary products anymore there's plenty of healthier vegan options. River anglers can't complain if they contribute to the problem!
Looking forward to fishing next time! Great work 👍👍👍
Some good points there my friend, food for thought..
Great Video make u sick whats happening to rivers the way its going my kids wont have a river to fish in few more years
So sad
The sickening part of all this is that if you wanted to get in there and reverse some of that damage, cut weed, etc.
You would be so tied up in environmental legislation and screening reports that you could never get anything done.
The same authority that are letting the rivers decline would be stopping you sort the problem.
Hard to see how this will get rectified George but hopefully nature will find a way.
All true I'm afraid..
So sorry to see a beautful river in such a state Could and a few anglers gettogether and try to clear it up Friendly farmer with a digger would have those bullrushs away in a few hours A few heavy rakes on ropes would make short work of the blanket weed and you could leave it on the bank to let the insects crawl back into the water Had to do this on a still water I fish and two evenings made light work of all the weeds Just thought !!
The problem is too big for what you suggest unfortunately.
The River Maigue in Limerick is the exact same George.
A national issue..
A sad story repeated almost countrywide George. Times have changed, but not sure farming practices have changed with them. Agri now accounts for just 1% of national GDP, and 39% of national carbon emissions, an imbalance that is the worst in Europe, and the effects on our waters is obvious. No point anyone pointing the finger at farmers - it's a national policy of intensification at any cost which they're following - and without farmers on side the rivers and lakes will have no chance. It will probably take a mass human and dog poisoning event to make people/voters take notice, then there will be years of hand-wringing/inquiries/investigations, then committees, then planning, then consulting, then tendering, then injunctions, then more planning, consulting, retendering, then a pause for a straw poll to see if voters are still engaged with the issue, at which point it might or might not be addressed. In the intervening 25 years I guess we just have to fight locally for the right of rivers to flow freeer of weed, dredging, abstraction, littering. And rivers do recover. My local river, the Dodder, has gone from a polluted drain 30 years ago to a thriving spate river with healthy fly hatches, wildlife, plenty of small but hardy trout - all down to local action by Dodder Anglers and Dodder Action. So there's hope yet and we anglers have to cling to that like a sedge on a bullrush during an evening rise.
Very astute observations there Colm, thanks for your thoughts.
@@springerspanielful and your video didn't dishearten me at all, inspired me to head to the river for an hour or two right afterwards. More power to you.
@@colmogaora6055 Tight lines a chara..
… this man knows what he’s talking about re how Irish politicians handle environmental crises- your comment should be framed , I’ve rarely or never seen a more precise synopsis of their collective bullshit approach to environmental crimes
The magnetosphere is weakening and pole shift is occurring.
What happens with EVERY pole flip...
Mass die back and a few extinctions.
One question: the problem you are talking about is also very important in Galicia (NW Spain) because we have the biggest dairy production in Spain. Now, are you talking about extensive ( free range) cattle management or intensive ( stabled) ? Because the problem lies mainly with the latter.
Intensive agriculture, ie too many cows for too little land.
The same in most Irish waterways. Every fisherman/woman needs to speak up about this and try get something done. Disgraceful and depressing
For sure.
Jesus, that's insane George. There is a lot of issues about health of all rivers in Ireland. Up north where I live is not much better. Lough neagh it's getting hammered with pollution etc. Actually I was in Poland recently for few days and went to see river what I fished around 20 years ago. From river around 10 metres wide there is 1 metre left over grown with weeds. That's nuts. Damaged also caused by slurry, pollution etc. Government/fishing clubs need to do something about it. I wonder if it even possible to gather some people to clean it up somehow? Is it actually possible to clean it with ropes with anchor?
Any efforts to clean it up as you suggest could do more harm than good unfortunately, the only long term solution is a reduction in the national herd, which would be strongly resisted by the farming lobby, and upgrading of all sewage treatment facilities..
Hey George, unfortunately this is a global problem
Read an interesting article a while ago and it puts a lot of the blame on the 70% reduction in fly life, on car tyres. The rubber contains forever chemicals that is detrimental to larve.
That coupled with the problems of intensive farming and human and industrial waste does bode well for the rivers.
Us Fishermen are on the front line watching and seeing what's going on we should band together with the various environmental groups and use our voice.
Whatever it takes my friend..
Heartbreaking George . I wish this video had millions of views. Some people don’t realise this is the same water ending up in our kitchen sink that’s laced in chemicals to make it usable. Where do we go from here? Do we care enough to actually do something of significance
Pressure needs to be applied before it's too late..
@@springerspanielfulthey trying to cause a food shortage so they killing all the rivers with sewage
Have you gotten Fly Fishers International, Trout Unlimited, or any local activist groups involved? Sometimes, you need to show them the beast and even loose it upon them. I saw a video somewhere of a river here in the US that was actually having to cultivate the river with something like a reel mower on a barge with a conveyor to extract the cut plants.
All the relevant bodies are fully conversant with the problem, they're up against some powerful interests..
I live close to the river more but can no longer fish as a result of weed growth,it’s all down to greed for big milk cheques,and the farmers say we need to feed the world at the detriment of our countryside
The truth right there.
George there's multiple clubs on the Suir and indeed Clonanav have a fairly established business there. Can everyone not band together and take the issue to the courts?
An expensive undertaking were it to happen, the courts have never given any succour to the environment..
Scotlands knackered too. We have an asset stripping government not interested in Britain at all. We have illegal immigrants sleeping rough in woodlands with no clue about 'leave no trace'. We have sleeping bags strewn around, tents the lot all left soiled and half wrecked. Something tells me it'll get a lot worse before anything improves.
Many problems here too...
Hard to watch and understand how it got so bad so quickly, my local water is the upper barrow and it's as bad as what you've shown largely to intensive dairy farming (greed) , it's heartbreaking to see our waterways slowly dying in front of our eyes
And no end in sight..
It's a shame that it's bout it's happening all over the place it's sadly
Indeed.
The untreated sewage or partly cleaned will contain many toxic substances, drugs pharmaceuticals, industrial weed killer ie glyphosate which causes permanent damage to the environment, the Nore went the same way , so short sighted and depressing.
Not irreversible hopefully..
Obviously the government didn’t do a proper environmental impact assessment, and if they did do one and the farmers are not following the guidelines set out they should be held responsible and accountable to clean up the damage.
Unfortunately the guidelines allow them to pollute, they call it "an acceptable level of pollution".
That was depressing to watch
It sure is..
Rivers up north is same rivers are destroyed iv fished this river 40 year or more things are really bad!!!
Sad..
I thought the river keepers tended to that kind of overgrow ?
We don't have riverkeepers..
The barrow is 100 times worse
So I hear..
Very sad George . The worst thing is your right no one cares about the environment where trout live
Except for us anglers very few understand..
Rough shooting and hunting in general in Ireland 🇮🇪 is ruined by intensive agriculture.as well.
I blame the EU for pushing this intensive mode of agriculture in the golden Vale. The EU and big money food companies want large scale farm's producing cheap food. To solve the pollution crises they could pay farmer's to rewild a few acres of their farms,buffer strips of woodland along rivers and streams, help to reduce flooding and filter the water.? There must be something that could be done to improve things?
There's a strong lobby resisting all those measures..
The farmers are shooting themselves in the foot, and they don't see it .
this will all backfire, i think the smaller farmers will be pushed out of business, they will sell their land or rent it to large scale farmers, ,in the future a lot of cattle in the golden Vale will be kept in feed lots. Fed by Arable crops and zero grazers, machinery collecting grass.the big farmers will claim they are saving d day. 😬
It's heartbreaking I know ,,we have Trout unlimited here in the USA ,they could do more but too much politics involved
It's all political..
Good video George, unfortunately what you talk about in your video is happening at an alarming rate
And accelerating.
Chuireann se deisteann orm. Greed screwing it all. J
Táim fíor buartha faoi.
THIS HAPPENS IN ALL COUNTRIES......ALL OVER THE WORLD
Sad to say.
Well done George ,but unfortunately nobody cares anymore it's progress to the detriment of all life around it including rivers ,mountains ect look at the grouse for example ,we as club members up and down the river suir need to pull together as 1 and go to the authorities responsible and make our case ,not being wrapped up in club politics and I'm afraid until that happens you're words fall on deaf ears ,I've said it already several times this year to certain people responsible for certain clubs and was told basically we look after our own club waters what goes on in other clubs doesn't matter ,well I'm afraid while that's the attitude the river will die in our life time and other than the few that care which is very few in my experience of this nobody else does ,they are happy to fish the water but take no responsibility as to the state of them ,until people power in numbers address this the river is doomed it's time to open your eyes people see what's Infront of you .
Well said Michael..
Comes to Fishermen v Farmers in Ireland Fishermen no chance Look what happened to Sea fishing Sacrificed in favour Farm subsidies
It's not just fishermen though, everyone suffers as a result of environmental damage..
Ta bron orm a Beith ag feacaint agus ag cloisaint na rudai fior a ta tu ag leabhairt tri. Is ufasach è
Agus ag dul in olcas is baolach..
@@springerspanielful Ta an ceart agut.
Depressing George. We are all responsible for not getting this into the agenda for the current election. Most politicians are saying that they will support the derogation of the nitrates directive which is the opposite of what is required. Talk to your prospective TD .
Highlight the issue at every opportunity..
Neoliberal country now , population, Farming, money all must increase increase increase! Culture wildlife all disappearing.
Certainly looks that way..
Hi George, I have followed you for a number of years and never seen your beautiful river in this condition before. Absolutely shameful and ironic in this age of climate change rhetoric
True for you..
George you are right and you are wrong in what you said about cattle numbers dairy cow numbers have increased substantially to in and around 1.5 cow's national at the same time as dairy numbers increased suckler cow's (beef cow that rears her own calf) numbers have declined from just over a million 12 years ago to 812,000 and is set to reduce further predictions are suckler cow could fall to 650,000 in three four year time. Expansion of the dairy herd is over regulations, ageing farmers are having a affect since the Ukraine war when fertiliser price sky rocketed fertiliser use has reduced slurry is more valuable last thing farmer's want is this fertiliser source leaving the farm it needed to grow grass chemical fertiliser is still not at pre Ukraine war price a fertiliser register was setup last the department knows what farmer's are buying and using. Farmer's are doing there bit more emphasis is put on getting clover into grass swards to pull down atmospheric nitrogen, more soil fertility testing more lime using targeted fertiliser application. What is not being done is upgrading of waste water treatment plants raw sewage with a cocktail of chemicals entering waterways and also rivers are not managed the way they were a 50-100 year's ago there is a belief that habitats should be left to do there own thing habitats have been managed by man for centuries. When rivers keeper's were controlling predators bank sides and river weeds plants even with raw sewage though no chemical cocktail just natural soups there was abundance of life.
Unfortunately the damage is ongoing, the farming lobby are resistant to change it appears, so much so the National Dairy Council were forced to remove a tv ad telling us all how environmentally friendly they were, the advertising standards authority all but told them there was no truth in the ad..
@springerspanielful. The far left are controlling the media and they are putting all the blame on animal agriculture whether it's nitrates in waterways or green house gases there is raw or semi treated sewage entering waterways all over the country you will never hear about from main stream media yet when testing showing increased nitrates levels in waterways agriculture is blamed as the soul villain. The national herd is set to contract it's happening in the suckler herd, dairy herd will shirk to a lot of small producers are existing in the coming years they are a ageing out of the sector increased regulations others looking at pulling back cow numbers. But of course sewage treatment plants will only get worse with ever increasing population nothing said now nothing will be said then.
Your nation is also dying.
There may be some truth in that..
C'mon now lads. That's smacks of defeatism
Where's your fighting Irish Spirit?
FFS
@@David.Jordan-ho2pl This is just the beginning of the fight..
Sad George …and it’s a global problem ….certainly duplicated in my part of the world …the loss of insect life particularly several mayfly species has a tragic effect …the contributors are definitely farming practices …uncontrolled and irresponsible use of herbicides and insecticides …water extraction for irrigation and of course climate change …Government oversight or care for our environment is a huge fail …just disgraceful really 🥲
All true I'm afraid..