Quote by editor of T&S Oct Issue.
"These fish were caught by anglers with the greatest of ease, their flabby bodies, ragged fins and tell-tale
appetites characteristic of their artifical upbringing. In the latest incident, fish between 7lb &13lb were seen swarming over the deeper parts of the river and anglers - not all legitimate- were out in force trying to catch them ".
The only statement from above that is correct is, "ragged fins".
The other statement about easy to catch, not true, flabby bodies, not true.
To clarify the above, anglers were allowed to fish in a restricted area (below barrage) for 4 hours, any legal method, 20/25 anglers, fish showing in pool, result , 1 caught and 1 lost.
I have seen numerous fish caught and gutted, there is no evidence that they eat parr or anything else. They taste as good or better than anything you will buy in the shops.
As regards about the damage they may do to the natural stock, I haven't a clue.
Comments please.

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If you would like to examine evidence of the impact that escaped farm fish have on a river system and its wild fish, then type <Burrishoole report> into your web browser; a 10 year study by Irish scientists into that matter.

I am an angler, I don't know anything about the scientific side of things.
I deal in facts.
The facts that were stated in T&S are, flabby fish, not true, verocious feeders, not true, ragged fins and tails,true.
So how do I as an ordinary angler believe anything that is written when I know that 2/3rds of it is not true.
The last big outbreak we had here was in 98, I don't remember them colouring up like they have this time, also they have milt and eggs.
What the results will be on the system, I haven't got a clue

1. escaped farm fish spread deseases into wild stocks that haven't had the benefit of tons of antibiotics.

2. farmed fish on the spawning redds dilute the natural stocks genes (each rivers stocks have thier own unique properties and homing instincts) creating problems with the future stocks.

3. If the fish are sterile they damage the redds by overcutting with no possibility of reproducing.

how is that for starters?

I agree with the above, but No2, why introduce fry from another river into the system ( which has been done in the past).
No3, how do we know they are sterile.
The other question is the size of some of these fish. The normal size you see in the supermarket is 4/5/6lbs obviously done for the housewife. Some of these fish were 12/16lbs???

The fry used in the salmon farms are bred for thier weight gaining properties, not for the rivers natural genetically evolved fish stocks therefor they are not even genetically similar and are totally unsuitable for survival in certain systems.

2.The fish if not sterile are worse! however the farmed fish are supposed to be sterile as it encourages stronger growth, and is supposed tohelp 'protect' wild strains in this type of incidence.

3. larger fish are used for the hotel/restaurant market and for smoking.