Loughs Agency reduces salmon tag allocation amid sharp decline in fish numbers

Loughs Agency has announced a reduction in salmon carcass tags for the 2026 angling season after monitoring revealed exceptionally low numbers of Atlantic salmon returning to rivers in the Foyle area in 2025.

Based on fish counter data from the Rivers Finn, Roe, Faughan and Mourne, the Agency has confirmed that none of the four statutory rivers met their Management Target last year. As a result, new conservation measures will be introduced to help protect already vulnerable salmon stocks.

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For the 2026 season, no blue tags will be issued, meaning all rivers in Loughs Agency's area will operate on a catch-and-release basis until June 1, 2026. From June 1 to October 31, anglers will be issued with one black tag per licence, reduced from two.

This decision has been informed by fish counter data collected in 2025, which recorded approximately 3,500 returning salmon across the four rivers, representing a 63% decrease compared with the five-year average. These figures underline the need for urgent and enhanced efforts to manage and protect declining salmon stocks in the Foyle and Carlingford systems.

Atlantic salmon are recognised internationally as a species in crisis. The North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO) has highlighted the impacts of climate change, pollution, habitat loss and exploitation on salmon stocks across their range. Loughs Agency’s decision on carcass tagging follows NASCO’s recommendation to apply the precautionary principle, taking protective action even where uncertainty remains.

The Agency’s assessment draws on fish counter data alongside wider environmental monitoring. Because salmon migrate long distances at sea before returning to rivers to spawn, local stocks are affected by pressures far beyond the Foyle area. Loughs Agency therefore considers both local evidence and international data when making management decisions for the Foyle and Carlingford catchments.

Reducing carcass tags, alongside continued promotion of catch and release, is intended to ease pressure on already vulnerable salmon populations. The Agency wishes to stress the continued availability of a single black tag is not an endorsement of killing salmon, but a safeguard in the rare event that a fish intended for release is accidentally mortally injured. 

Over time, these measures are intended to support the recovery of salmon stocks.

Sharon McMahon, Loughs Agency CEO, said: “The Atlantic salmon is an iconic species and part of our natural heritage. In order to protect salmon for future generations, we are required to make urgent conservation-led decisions which are evidence-based and ultimately to protect what little stock currently exists. 

“We will continue to engage and work closely with our angling stakeholders to ensure they are fully informed and understand what these measures mean in practice. However, we really need their support to help steer this situation towards a more positive outlook for the future.”

Loughs Agency will continue to monitor salmon stocks across the Foyle and Carlingford catchments and to work with partners to better understand and address the pressures affecting the species throughout its life cycle.

Members of the public are encouraged to report any concerns regarding illegal fishing or pollution in the Foyle or Carlingford catchments via the 24-hour Loughs Agency Response Line on +442871342100.