Two weeks ago the Northern Ireland Carp Association claimed that it was highly unlikely that the group would be allowed to stock carp in Ballyroney Lake near Rathfriland, Co. Down.
There were objections from the Ulster Anglers Federation and the Fisheries Conservancy Board. They claimed the carp would have a disruptive effect on other species in the lake and find their way into rivers causing chaos.
But now Culture, Arts and Leisure Minister Michael McGimpsey has said the lake can become the province’s first carp fishery.
Mark McGivern, chairman of the Northern Ireland Carp Association, said that all the group’s hard work over the past 18 months had paid off
