Strangford Lough fishery could generate £7m

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Ards Borough Council, together with neighbouring Down District Council, has expressed an interest in acquiring Lough Cowey, near Portaferry, as a tourism asset.

If a proposed sea trout hatchery there, and a salt water fishery in Strangford Lough goes ahead, it could potentially create up to 300 jobs and generate up to £7 million spend in the local economy.

A spokesperson for Ards Borough Council confirmed they and Down District Council had expressed an interest to Northern Ireland Water in acquiring the 18.2 hectare fresh water Lough Cowey, as they recognised its potential as a hatchery site, but also because of its landscape and recreational value.

Chair of the Ards and Down Salmonid Enhancement Association (ADSEA), Philip Johnston, underlined to the Council€s Development Committee last month that Lough Cowey was an essential component to facilitate the Strangford Lough project.

As sea trout require fresh water for the first five months, he explained, they needed a fresh water facility close to the proposed salt water fishery.

"If we could secure Lough Cowey within the next few months, there is no reason why the hatchery wouldn't be up and running in September 2011," Mr Johnston explained. "Things would have to move fairly quickly to enable this." Five months later, he added, the first smolt would be released into Strangford Lough.

The sea trout fishery, Mr Johnston related, would generate an annual spend of between £6 and £7 million, and provide between 250 and 300 jobs around Strangford Lough.

"It will give the entrepreneurial ability for people on the front of the lough to develop the facilities anglers require," he said.

Salt water game angling, Mr Johnston explained, was the fastest growth area in angling.

"It is not dependent on weather conditions, and sea trout are available to fish the whole of the season," he said.

"Strangford Lough offers safe and sheltered waters for boats to fish. It has almost 100 miles of shoreline, it would be an excellent feeding ground for sea trout and is an extremely scenic area."

There were, Mr Johnston continued, around 600 members in ADSEA, many of whom had a good understanding of what anglers expected from other international fisheries.

"A lot of anglers travel the world in pursuit of their past time," he remarked. "It will be a wonderful opportunity for local anglers as well.

"Anglers are a very repetitive group. Once they find a fishery, they will come back year on year," Mr Johnston said. "The fishery would require between 60 to 100 good quality gillie operators with boats of the right standard."

A Strangford Lough sea fishery would potentially be a massive market, he related, ultimately attracting up to 20,000 anglers. The activity, Mr Johnston highlighted, would be managed within the conservation requirments of the lough. "It would be sensitive, eco friendly tourism," he said.

"Lough Cowey has a bit of fishing on it at the moment, but we would like to see the development of fishing in the whole area as a tourism and community asset," Mr Johnston commented.

"The project would make a big difference to communities around the lough, who are associated with providing a warm and friendly welcome," he said. "It would be quality tourism development, creating enough jobs to make a difference."