Teagasc will organise nationally a series of events, which will include classroom and onsite training, to equip farmers with the knowledge to support fish friendly management of the riparian zone.
The keys topics covered in the training include:
- Restricting Livestock Access
- Fencing of the Riparian Zone
- Fish friendly management of trees and plants
- River bank protection
- Development of Buffer Strips between tilled fields and watercourses
- Invasive species management
- Preventing barriers to fish movement
- River crossings by box culvert
Teagasc in County Louth are hosted an event on October 16 at their offices in Dundalk. Niall O’Lamhna, Teagasc Adviser said that the issues covered will include best practice when maintaining previously drained watercourses, preventing barriers to fish movement and dealing with invasive species. Tom O’Connell Teagasc, Agricultural Catchments Programme, discussed results from monitoring of the Dunleer catchment.
Inland Fisheries Ireland are pleased to be involved in the delivery of this training programme and IFI CEO Dr Ciaran Byrne commented that "this joint initiative is the way forward to ensure that there is a consistent and best practice approach to preserving watercourses for the benefit of farming and fisheries alike."
