Minister of State for Fisheries and the Marine, Timmy Dooley, has opened a public consultation on the draft Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations 2025.

The draft regulations set out proposed management arrangements for Ireland’s wild salmon and sea trout fisheries for the 2026 season. They include river-specific conservation measures designed to protect vulnerable stocks, support habitat recovery and ensure Ireland meets its international obligations for migratory fish.

Minister Dooley said the long-term sustainability of wild salmon and sea trout stocks was his foremost concern. He said the tagging scheme and associated conservation measures were important tools for managing fish stocks on a river-by-river basis using the best available scientific advice. He urged all stakeholders and members of the public with an interest in these species to take part in the consultation.

The consultation will remain open for 30 days and closes at 5.30 pm on 20 December.

The Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme is provided for under the Inland Fisheries Act 2010, which allows the Minister to make regulations on tagging and tracking wild salmon and sea trout and related conservation measures. The regulations are revised each year based on advice from Inland Fisheries Ireland and annual stock assessments from the Technical Expert Group on Salmon.

The scheme supports the sustainable management of Ireland’s wild salmon and sea fisheries by controlling and monitoring the number of fish harvested, ensuring tagging and recording are retained, and allowing river-specific management based on scientific assessments. The regulations also determine which rivers will be open for harvest, catch and release or closed in the 2026 season.