Source: Inland Fisheries Ireland
According to IFI the programme is being developed to determine the status of bass stocks and also to improve understanding of their ecology and biology in Ireland for the long-term sustainability of the species.
Commercial fishing for bass has been banned in Ireland since 1990 following a dramatic decline of bass stocks in the 1980s. The ban has not been without controversy, however, as other EU states have been allowed to fish for bass in Irish waters on a commercial scale, and even to land their catch at Irish ports.
However, it is thought the new programme could tell a more positive story of the health of bass in Irish waters, and pave the way for the future return of a commercial bass fishery in Ireland.
Details on how to take part in the programme by submitting bass scale samples are available on the IFI website HERE
