Catch & release: who's killing fish in the Grand Canal, Ireland (please read below).

[scottiering]

Victor. We have laws to protect birds in the spring. You can't cut a hedgerow in springtime due to nesting birds with eggs. Still farmers cut them and burn gorse from their fields. Nothing happens to the farmers even though there are laws against this act. So it really does not surprise me that waterways Ireland are doing this ! As for some of the stupid comments made - idiots ! You do great work and produce great videos. Keep up the good work. Maybe one day we can go for a snorkel.

[hunternick100]

Shut the fuck up you PETA piece of shit

[marko1310]

Bad timing... maybe do this every second year during this period might work. It would certainly keep the fish at a decent size. I cannot believe the flack you are taking for posting these videos. You are highlighting the beauty of Ireland and making this more accessible to so many more people via the internet, surely the more people now about this then the more people are likely to actually give a damn. Keep up the good work, and I think others should direct their anger towards the poachers!

[matchangler30]

im irish and bloody proud to be we dont need prats like u in our country god help u if we ever see u in the canal u wont get out alive thats a promise

[underwaterireland]

@matchangler30 That was scary. Listen cowboy, have you ever fought live person in your life? You, not WE? When I was in army chicks like you were washing my socks. Go better and help to pack bags in Tesco instead of spitting on your monitor. Out and over.

[TheTat555]

@matchangler30 I think a mental institution might help cause there is something totally wrong with you, man.

[underwaterireland]

@TheTat555 I don’t want my foreign viewers to get the wrong impression: Irish people are very polite and friendly and I have lots of friends and supporters. Unfortunately in any country and any nation some exceptions always exist. Those folks here are brave to throw rocks at your back but they know nothing about a real fight and nothing about respect to your opponent. So it’s just a part of our life which we have to accept.

[underwaterireland]

@TheTat555 Most likely they didn’t get enough of love, care and education in their childhood which actually is not their fault.

[pdrunk2]

@matchangler30 you ass 

[19ad92]

What part of the grand canal is that . thanks

[underwaterireland]

@19ad92 Sorry man I can't tell this becasue as you can see some folks think that I'm helping poachers.

[matchangler30]

want to know what the poachers did on 1 place they put up the catch and release signs they place a bag full off fish they had caught and killed and hung the bag from they sign they dont give a shit they do what they want u should be done for aiding them to kill our fish stocks

[matchangler30]

its not a full time station plus its a give away when u film other bit of the location u are exactly putting up what makes it easier for poachers to find whats left in our canals of the fish that are old enough to spawn with out them there will be nothing left also water ways knows and so do the fisher board about whats going on how can they protect fish if idiots like u put this up so all can see go through the proper channels to complain 1st b4 u do stupid things like posting fish locatons

[underwaterireland]

@matchangler30 1. Real poachers do not need anybody’s advice. YOU can ask THEM for tips.

2.Did you read what I said? Find the place from my video, get the biggest net and try to catch fish – I wish you best of luck. 3. I would suggest you not to say ‘it’s stupid’ about stuff you can't understand. Because you might look like. 4.I’m not Irish, but I’ve done already for this country a lot. And I hope I will do even more in the future. What about you? By the way – are you from Ireland or from UK?

[underwaterireland]

@matchangler30 P.S. I don’t care about silly remarks because I have my own head. I have many videos (and I’ll show more soon) with lots of very nice fish but you’ll not find those places and/or that fish!

[matchangler30]

thanks for posting this NOW WE HAVE EVERY POACHER ON THIS PIECE OF CANAL WONT BE MUCH LEFT AFTER THEY HAVE FINISHED SO UNDERWATERIRELAND ARE U GOING TO GO GET SOME SHOTS OF THAT

[underwaterireland]

@matchangler30 Fish in this canal spawns in many places along the shore so if poachers want take it - they will do it without anybody's help. I never indicate exact locations except those places there poaching is impossible like for example Roberstown harbor because there is Garda station right on the shore.

[roryorbit]

Its not an issue?? It makes me laugh...all it takes is a little more thought to move the scheduell around a bit. Typical... In a way though i have been on that part fishing years ago and i seen them spawning successfully so if theres fish there now they must be surviving..Maybe its not as bad as we think as theres fry in the place..might not be giving the best start to them either though..

[underwaterireland]

@roryorbit I think if they keep doing same thing every year we'll see negative result in a few years time. You're right - the only one thing what they need is to move schedule... not to stop cutting weed.

[roryorbit]

Maybe if you send this clip to the powers that be in the fisheries board and waterways Ireland it might make them see some sense in their mistake. Just a thought.

[underwaterireland]

@roryorbit I did. They replied that it's not an issue.

[roryorbit]

I know this area as i use to fish there in years gone past.. I think its just bad timing on the behalf of the waterways people. You have to remember these are just people,civil servants, that do a job and dont understand the timing of the spawning. As an angler I know when they spawn there and personally I wouldnt be doing work like this at that time but this area of the canal is very well used by barges etc and when the weed blows out of control the solution is to cut it.

[danielokelly21]

Grass carp are stocked into the canals in  holland by the government ever year to keep the canals free of weed. Grassies can not breed in canals or lakes for that matter. They must breed in rivers Their eggs do not have a sticky mucus therefore they can't stick to weeds sticks etc and as it takes about three weeks for the eggs to hatch. Not many rivers

In the world support successful reproduction of grasses. As the eggs simply flow out to sea and die on contact with sea water. The Danube is one

[wombergoose]

look into what problems weed over growth can cause. I think it messes with the oxygen content of that water but im not 100% sure. You put up a good point and i really like the footage!

[underwaterireland]

@wombergoose Thanks. Main point is not against weed cutting, but against cutting it during the spawning time.

[orrickvang]

As i was reading your description, it's best not to use weed eating carp. Like in the United States, they are an invasive species and are ruining all the fishes over here. Ruining the Great Lake and of course our river systems. Of course it was us American fault for bringing them over to kill weed like you said, but they became to much and we really can't do anything to stop them now.

[underwaterireland]

@orrickvang We have carp already in the canal but it's very rare because water is not warm enough here. Most likely same thing would happen to grass eating carp as well - it will not populate as much as in the US etc. You can find lots of good example when they living together with rest of fish without dominating. But anyway it was thought only, I know that Irish authorities are very strict regarding this and they never will let this happen even if whole canal will die.

[monaghancoarseangler]

Hi underwaterireland i was just wondering where abouts you were filming cheers

[underwaterireland]

@monaghancoarseangler About 1-2 km down from Robertsown (the frist bridge when you go down along the canal).

[twistoffat]

As a passionate fisherman Í have to say Its necessary. For years the canals around Ireland were over grown with no cutting at all. Overgrowth and O2 starvation was killing the waterways and the size of fish was getting smaller. Its a necessary evil and a coincidence that the spawning season and weed growth coincide. Don´t forget these are manmade waterways. The biggest threat is still East Europeans taking what they catch to eat.

[underwaterireland]

@twistoffat No man, I’m disagree with you. First of all in many countries fishermen are eating their catch, including freshwater. But all those counties have strict restrictions on any kind of activity during the spawning time. One single action like cutting weed during spawning time can kill millions eggs in one go. If even all fishermen will eat all their catch it still will be less harmful than killing all those eggs. I’m not saying that weed shouldn’t be cut, but not at that time.

[underwaterireland]

@twistoffat We have healthy fish stock as fiheries said, but if we keep killing eggs for few years - situation can change and it will be too late to blame those who's eating their catch. P.S. I'm not discussing here can we eat catch or should we always release it. I'm not fishing myself at all for the last few years.

[twistoffat]

@underwaterireland I understand what you are saying but 20 years ago before they started cutting back the canals started to grow over and were silting up. Its difficult to understand but in such waterways if you have too many small fish all you end up with is loads of small fish. Three years ago on a stretch of the Royal between Leixlip and Lucan I confronted a group of Poles netting fish. I have to call the cops. Why do you think we now have signs saying catch and return.

[underwaterireland]

@twistoffat Man, I'm not talking about netting - of couse it's a crime (that's why I'm not indicating exact place where video was recorded - sorry to those who wants simple to know). I use to snorkel in the same spot for few years and this is the first time when I saw cutting weed at that particular time. I saw cutting much later, but not at that time. Plus. it's different thing to cut middle part only and to cut all shallows. Anyway, thanks for your comments.

[tails142]

The weed needs to be cut because its a navigation, too much weed and the boats can't get through. It's been done this way for many years and fish stocks are thriving so while its not ideal it hasnt been harming the populations hugely. Also I believe the boats only cut in the centre channel and leave the fringes to the side alone, the boat leaves the cut weed on the bank which is then collected later by a lorry to stop the nutrients from re-enterring the canal.

[underwaterireland]

@tails142 I wouldn't rise any issue if machine cut weed in the middle only. That particular spot is much wider that normal and it's very shallow (1M) so no boats can go there except in the middle but all area was cut. And I know exactly that fish use it for spawning... I saw spawning every year in that place: bream, roach, tench, hybrid exactly that time - end of May/beginnign of June. That's why I was shocked when I came to film spawning fish and I saw cutting weed machine instead.

[lowdouble10]

This is people we trust to look after our fishing, FOOLS isnt a strong enough word!

[cressy7isback]

you should send a copy of your vid to them

[underwaterireland]

@cressy7isback I did.

[underwaterireland]

@cressy7isback Fisheries replied that they asked Waterways to cut weed and they don't think that cutting harm fish population even if it's done during the spawning time. But why lots of countries (all I know) have strict restrictions on any water activities during spawning time?

[nothing4224]

why don't they just leave it alone... what happens if the grass gets too long

[patmac736]

thats such a pity,they should wait until such time when the fish eggs have hatched and the fry are old enough to get out of harms way,the way they are doing it now nothing has a chance,sad