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Shad in inshore and estuarine waters
Contents
- Introduction
- The conservation of two rare fish in Irish waters - a cooperative effort
- Shad Identification
- Report a shad catch
Introduction
Shad in inshore and estuarine waters – we need your help!
The two species of shad – twaite (Alosa fallax) (above) and allis (A. alosa) are among the rarest species of fish breeding in Irish freshwaters. These fish are members of the herring family but are much larger and more deep-bodied than the usual herring. Both shad species spend most of their lives at sea, returning to freshwater only to spawn in April and May in gravelled areas in rivers or upstream of the tidal influence. The juveniles begin to swim or are carried downstream within some days of spawning, developing as they drift. However, they may remain in estuarine waters for up to 12 months.
Since 2001 we have asked for help from you – the leisure angler, the salmon netsman operating in the estuaries and commercial trawlermen working at sea. Our requests are carried through colleagues in the Regional Fisheries Boards, the Marine Institute, BIM and Dept of Marine. You have retained samples of shad for us from a range of locations, in estuaries and around the coast, and this information has helped to update our knowledge on where shad are and what they are doing.
The fish samples collected have shown that both species – the Allis and the Twaite shad are present in the May – July period in the four major estuaries in the south-east – the Slaney, Barrow, Suir and Munster Blackwater. The samples have also shown us that both sexually mature fish of both species are present and that hybrids (allis X twaite) can occur. Allis shad have been considered to spawn only once but the findings from our examination of scales, from fish submitted by you, show that some allis shad have spawned previously
Unfortunately, the material supplied and the anecdotal reports and ‘fisherman’s tales’ all point to the fact that allis and twaite shad are now much less common in Irish waters than was the case some years ago. Fewer ‘specimen’ twaite shad are caught by anglers at St. Mullins on the Barrow; the Slaney draftsmen rarely encounter shad now; twaite shad were commonly observed spawning at Carrick-on-Suir up to recent years but not so now!
We continue to need your help to increase our current knowledge base. If you are a commercial trawlerman, charter angling boat skipper, inshore netsman, riverine draft or snapnetsman you may be in the way of encountering small numbers of shad as a by-catch. Likewise, Sea Fisheries Officers in ports and anglers on the bank may come across these fish. The bodies provide important information on size, age, maturity and spawning history for us and we would welcome an opportunity to examine them.
So, if you come across these fish you might get in touch with us. Reports on sightings and angler information are always welcome. If you have the fish you can pop them in the freezer along with a note on date and place of capture. We can arrange collection or you can wrap them up well in newspaper and post them to us early in any week. We DO need the date of capture and location (as specific as possible). If you are a salmon netsman or woman you might contact your local Regional Fisheries Board staff – as many of you have done in the last couple of years. If you are a trawlerman you might retain material for MI, BIM or Dept. of Marine staff in your home port.
For additional information check the CFB website contact us by phone or email. We look forward to hearing from you – the success of our investigations depends largely on your support and we greatly appreciate the support we have received from you, from colleagues in the RFBs, MI, BIM and Dept of Marine.
Contact: Jimmy King (jimmy.king@cfb.ie) or Willie Roche ( willie.roche@cfb.ie) (Irish Specimen Fish Committee) at 01 8842600
Postal Address:
Central Fisheries Board, Unit 4, Swords Business Campus, Balheary Road, Swords, Co. Dublin.
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