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3. Results

3.1 Shad investigations

3.1.2 Baseline survey in Cork Harbour

The survey was undertaken jointly with the Angling Divn. of CFB and was assisted by staff of the Fisheries Protection Divn. of CFB and officers of the South western Regional Fisheries Board.

A total of 33 sites were examined over the five-day period 24-28th September 2001 (Fig. 1). A wide range of species was recorded, consistent with the large diversity of habitat niches available in this extensive expanse of water. The principal species encountered are listed in Table 2. The list includes more truly estuarine forms as well as those from surf beaches and areas of steeply sloping bed close to shore. As was the case with the estuarine surveys above, no juvenile twaite shad were taken.

The most commonly encountered groups were juvenile sprat/herring, flounder, gobies, mullet, atherines and the 15-spined stickleback. Many species were found in single locations only. The most upstream location, Site 21, was a slipway formerly used for salmon draft netting opposite the ESB power station at Marino. This site yielded four taxa, including young scad. This was one of four locations in the Harbour where scad were taken.

The highest species diversity was found in the lower Harbour area. A total of 13 species was taken at the northmost point of Ringaskiddy, directly south of Haulbowline (Site 30). As well as the commonly-recorded species, this site yielded two species of pipefish, two wrass species,blenny, bullhead and butterfish.  Species diversity was also higher at the stations at Rushbrook (Site 25), Cuskinny Beach (Site 22) and the slipway at Crosshaven (Site 33).

Table 1: Summary list of fish taken during Beach seine netting surveys in 2001 for each channel.
Family Fish species River Barrow River Blackwater River Nore River Slaney River Suir
Petromyzonidae Lampetra fluviatilis (L.) River lamprey
*
Clupeidae Sprattus sprattus (L.) Sprat
*
*
*
*
Salmonidae Salmo salar (L.) Salmon
*
*
Salmo trutta (L.) Brown Trout
*
*
*
*
Salmo trutta (L.) Sea Trout
*
*
*
Osmeridae Osmerus eperlanus (L.) Smelt
*
*
*
Cyprinidae Cyprinidae indet.
*
Phoxinus phoxinus (L.) Minnow
*
Leucisus leuciscus (L.) Dace
*
*
Anguillidae Anguilla anguilla (L.) Eel
*
*
*
Syngnathidae Syngnathidae indet. Pipefish & Sea-horses
*
Gadidae Pollachius pollachius (L.) Pollack
*
Pollachius virens (L.) Coalfish
*
Gaidropsarus vulgaris (Cloquet) Three-bearded rockling
*
Serranidae Dicentrarchus labrax (L.) Bass
*
*
*
Mugilidae Crenimugil labrosus
Thick-lipped mullet
*
*
*
*
Ammodytidae Ammodytidae indet. Sand Eel
*
*
Triglidae Triglidae indet.
Gurnards
*
Cottidae Taurulus bubalis (Euphrasen)
Sea Scorpion
*
Gasterosteidae Gasterosteus aculeatus (L.)
Three-spined Stickleback
*
Pleurinectidae Platichthys flesus (L.) Flounder
*
*
*
*
*
Unidentified flatfish
*
Soleidae Solea solea (L.)
Sole
*

River Nore = as far as its confluence with River Barrow upstream of New Ross.
River Barrow = as far as its confluence with the River Suir at Cheekpoint.
River Suir = includes River Suir upstream of Cheekpoint and River Barrow and River Suir downstream of Cheekpoint.

Next: Sampling at ESB Campile
Previous: Beach seine netting surveys

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