The Wild Atlantic Salmon need clean rivers to live in and a gravelly bed to spawn in. The water quality in our rivers in not good and in this the 5th Programme in our ‘Make Way for the King’ series we focus on the efforts that are being made to improve water quality. Ruth Hennessy is LAWPRO Catchment Manager for the South East and she tells us about the Water Framework Directive, the River Basin Management Plan and the scientific work of LAWPRO. Brian Casey is a scientist who takes water samples from the river and he gives us the results of the findings he has compiled on the River Nuenna, a tributary of the Nore in Freshford where we are broadcasting from. Denis Drennan is a farmer and Chair of the ICMSA Farm and Rural Affairs Committee. Denis believes that farmers are doing their bit to look after the water courses that run through their land. Ann Phelan is Community Water Officer with LAWPRO; working with communities and engaging with the local people about their water courses is a big part of LAWPRO’s work. Finally Tommy Hoyne of the Kilkenny Angling Club and Chair of Inchmore Club Freshford talks about some of the highlights of fishing in the river over the years. ‘Make Way for the King’ is a NASCO Education and Outreach Project and is brought to you with financial assistance from the European Union for International Year of the Salmon with co-funding from LAWPRO (Local Authorities Water Programme)
In Part 2 of the 5th Programme in ‘Make Way for the King’ series we hear about ASSAP – Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advice Programme – with Deirdre Glynn and Cathal Somers of Teagasc. LAWPRO liaise with Teagasc when they discover a problem in a river and Teagasc support the farmer and advise the farmer on how best to resolve the issue. Siobhan Kavanagh is Sustainability Manager with Teagasc and she talks about the environmental challenges for agriculture and the approach they are taking in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Hannah Hamilton from Freshford, is a environmentalist and has a strong connection with the river. She talks about fishing with her father as a child and the complex nature of the river ecosystem. Finally Thomas Ryan is Sustainability Manager with Glanbia and he leads a team that works with farmers and suppliers to ensure that the river isn’t polluted. ‘Make Way for the King’ is a NASCO Education and Outreach Project and is brought to you with financial assistance from the European Union for International Year of the Salmon with co-funding from LAWPRO (Local Authorities Water Programme)
