This article is from page 3 of the 2006-06-06 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 3 JPG
A FISH thought to be extinct in the waters around Clare was on display recently in the county.
The ‘Arctic char’ could be used as a measure of the cleanness of our water supply.
The fish, as well as more common species, was on display at this year’s Clare Biodiversity Day. The day has now become an annual event.
The exhibition of fish, by the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board in association with University College Cork and the Irish Char Conservation Group, had Arctic char as its central theme.
This is because it is believed that all of County Clare’s Arctic char populations are now extinct. The Arctic char in the aquarium were hatchery fish, originally from County Kerry.
According to those involved in the project, they were put on display “to illustrate to the crowds not only how beautiful these fish are but that they are also useful water quality indicators.
“The Arctic char are very sensitive to water pollution and it is in everyone’s interest to ensure that water quality is maintained at the high standard required by this fish.
“There is no reason why they could not be reintroduced into County Clare and four of the five loughs where they once occurred also serve as a public water supply. Their presence would act as a freshwater canary, which would alert us if anything went wrong with water quality.”
Also on display was a river lamprey that was found attached to a brown trout caught by an angler on Lough Derg last week. This parasitic fish is unusual as it sucks onto other fish, feeding off them.
They are now relatively rare in Ireland and it is thought that there is a landlocked population in the lough. More common fish species, such as pike and tench, were also on display. These fishes are not native to Clare unlike the trout, Arctic char and pollan.
The Shannon Regional Fisheries Board is currently running a research programme with the Lough Derg Angling Association to look at the native fish biodiversity in the lough including the elusive Irish Pollan.
Anyone with information, or who might be interested in taking part, please contact Fran Igoe at 061300238.