Inland Fisheries Ireland awarded vital funding to develop youth angling
Inland Fisheries Ireland has been awarded funding to develop angling among young people as part of the Dormant Account Action Plan 2018, announced by Sean Kyne T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Rural Community Development. The Dormant Account Action Plan allocates €40 million in funding to 45 measures nationwide.
Minister Kyne said “Inland Fisheries Ireland was chosen as a recipient of two funding measures which will engage and support young and novice anglers in Ireland. The funding will see the development of a new novice angling strategy, a scheme to support angling events for novice and youth anglers and the appointment of five Regional Outreach Co-Ordinators”.
The measures are as follows:
Measure 2.7.1 Novice Angling Strategy (€70,000)
This measure will see the development of a Novice/Youth Angling Strategy and a scheme to support events for disadvantaged groups, angling hubs and coaches to ensure a safe environment for youths and vulnerable adults. Inland Fisheries Ireland will continue to support Angling for Youth Development Ireland (AFYDI) and the Angling Council of Ireland (ACI) who facilitate the formation of angling hubs nationally to increase access to angling through the provision of trained coaches and safe fishing.
Measure 2.7.2 Go Fishing – Novice Angling Initiative (€323,250)
This project will see the appointment of five regional Outreach Coordinators in the major urban areas who will work with Angling for Youth Development Ireland, the Angling Council of Ireland and other angling organisations to increase the numbers engaging in angling across the regions.
The Dormant Accounts fund supplements the support already allocated by Inland Fisheries Ireland to youth angling via the National Strategy for Angling Development (NSAD). These five appointments, together with NSAD supported posts, will deliver national education and outreach and novice angling briefs.
The funding will allow the organisation to properly resource a novice angling strategy which will incorporate one of its existing youth angling programmes, the Dublin Angling Initiative, and the many other education & outreach initiatives which are taking place across the country. It will also reach out to and include angling and voluntary organisations nationwide.
Dr Ciaran Byrne, CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland said: “We are delighted to welcome this funding which will support us in growing the numbers of novice and youth anglers in Ireland. Recent socio-economic studies of recreational angling in Ireland reveal that of the 325,000 anglers in Ireland, 37 per cent are over 55 years of age and 49 per cent are in the 35-54 age bracket. We know however that 83 per cent of primary school students we surveyed want to go fishing.
There is a huge opportunity for us to engage the next generation around our natural fisheries resource and to introduce them to angling, a pastime they can enjoy at any age or ability with many health and wellbeing benefits. The Dormant Account funding will help us realise our ambitious objectives of growing participation in fishing nationally and secure the future of our resource as a result. We look forward to working closely with angling groups and communities across Ireland in the development of a new Youth Angling Strategy and the roll out of related novice angling initiatives.”
The Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan 2018 can be found on the Department’s website here. For more information about Inland Fisheries Ireland, visit www.fisheriesireland.ie .
