LOUGHS AGENCY OF THE FOYLE CARLINGFORD AND IRISH LIGHTS COMMISSION European Smelt (Osmerus eperlanus L.) of the Foyle Area Monitoring, Conservation & Protection Loughs Agency of the Foyle Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission Art Niven, Mark McCauley & Fearghail Armstrong An updated status report on European smelt in the Foyle area from 2012-2017. COPYRIGHT © 2018 LOUGHS AGENCY OF THE FOYLE CARLINGFORD AND IRISH LIGHTS COMMISSION Headquarters 22, Victoria Road Derry~Londonderry BT47 2AB Northern Ireland Tel: +44 (0) 28 71 342100 Fax: +44 (0) 28 71 342720 general@loughs - a g e n c y . o r g w w w . l o u g h s - a g e n c y . o r g Regional Office Dundalk Street Carlingford Co Louth Republic of Ireland Tel: +353 (0) 42 938 3888 Fax: +353 (0) 42 938 3888 carlingford@loughs - a g e n c y . o r g w w w . l o u g h s - a g e n c y . o r g Report Reference LA/ES/01/18 CITATION: Niven, A.J, McCauley, M. & Armstrong, F. (2018) European Smelt of the Foyle Area. Loughs Agency, 22, Victoria Road, Derry~Londonderry Page 2 of 32 COPYRIGHT © 2018 LOUGHS AGENCY OF THE FOYLE CARLINGFORD AND IRISH LIGHTS COMMISSION DOCUMENT CONTROL Name of Document European Smelt (Osmerus eperlanus L.) of the Foyle Area Author (s): Art Niven, Mark McCauley & Fearghail Armstrong Authorised Officer: John McCartney Description of Content: Fish Stock Assessment Approved by: John McCartney Date of Approval: February 2018 Assigned review period: N/A Date of next review: N/A Document Code LA/ES/01/18 No. TOC Text List of tables Table of Figures Appendices This documents comprises X X X X Version Control Table Version No. Status Author (s) Reviewed by Approved by Date of issue Draft A. Niven, John John 28/2/2017 Version 1 M. McCauley McCartney McCartney & F. Armstrong Revision 2 Revision 3 Page 3 of 32 COPYRIGHT © 2018 LOUGHS AGENCY OF THE FOYLE CARLINGFORD AND IRISH LIGHTS COMMISSION TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................... 7 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 8 2.0 METHODS ................................................................................................. 9 Table 1. Netting effort and location 2012, 2016 and 2017. ........................ 9 Fig 1. 2012 temporal smelt survey on the River Roe (top) and River Faughan (bottom)................................................................................................... 10 Fig 2. Map & picture showing Smelt sampling locations on the River Roe 11 Fig 3. ........................................................................................................ 12 Fig 4. 2016 survey locations on the River Finn.......................................... 13 Fig 5. 2016 survey location on the River Deele ......................................... 14 Fig 6 2016 survey location on the River Foyle .......................................... 14 Fig 9. Map and picture showing 2017 Smelt sampling locations on the River Mourne .................................................................................................... 17 3.0 RESULTS .................................................................................................. 18 Table 2. Species and numbers of by catch from River Roe and River Faughan, 2012.......................................................................................... 18 Table 3. Coolkeeragh European smelt min and max lengths and weights June to Sept 2012..................................................................................... 18 Fig 10. European smelt length weight relationship Coolkeeragh June to Sept 2012 n = 622 ............................................................................................ 19 Table 4. Total number of smelt caught in each net over the six sampling periods, 2016. .......................................................................................... 19 Fig 11. Length weight relationship of Smelt caught in 2016 (n=113) ........ 20 Fig 12. Length frequency of Smelt caught in 2016 (n=113) ....................... 20 Fig 13. Sex ratios of smelt, 2016 (n=110) .................................................. 21 Table 5. % Sex ratio of smelt caught in 2016 ............................................ 21 Fig 14. Percentage age class of Smelt, 2016 (n=36) .................................. 22 Page 4 of 32 COPYRIGHT © 2018 LOUGHS AGENCY OF THE FOYLE CARLINGFORD AND IRISH LIGHTS COMMISSION Fig 15. Back calculated growth analysis for smelt, 2016 n= 35 ................. 22 Table 6. Total number of smelt caught in each net .................................. 23 Fig 16 Length weight relationship of smelt, 2017 (n=151) ........................ 23 Fig 17 Length frequency of smelt, 2017 (n=151) ...................................... 24 Fig 18 Sex ratio of smelt, 14th March 2017 (n=150) .................................. 24 Table 7. Summary data from Foyle area European smelt adult spawning surveys 2010 to 2017 ............................................................................... 25 Fig 19. European smelt fecundity analysis ................................................ 25 Fig 20. European smelt gill raker from the 1st gill arch.............................. 26 Fig 21. European smelt scales .................................................................. 26 4.0 DISCUSSION ............................................................................................ 27 5.0 INVASIVE SPECIES ................................................................................... 28 6.0 BIOSECURITY........................................................................................... 29 7.0 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................... 30 8.0 RECOMENDATIONS................................................................................. 31 9.0 REFERENCES ........................................................................................... 31 This document and its contents are copyright of the Loughs Agency ©2018 Page 5 of 32 COPYRIGHT © 2018 LOUGHS AGENCY OF THE FOYLE CARLINGFORD AND IRISH LIGHTS COMMISSION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Loughs Agency sponsoring departments, board and staff are gratefully acknowledged for the funding, support and assistance provided to conduct fish stock assessments and status reporting in the Foyle and Carlingford areas. Specifically Fishery Officers David Robinson, Emmett Carten and David O’Brien for assistance with conducting the 2012 sampling on the River Faughan and River Roe, Fishery Officers Liam McCallion & Rod Collins for assistance with conducting the 2016 sampling on the River Foyle, River Finn and River Deele and to Ian Olphert, Tommy McAree and Kris Kennedy for assistance with conducting the 2017 sampling on the River Mourne. PROJECT STAFF Fisheries Biologist/Project Manager Art Niven Assistant Scientific Officer Mark McCauley GIS Officer Rachel Scott/Joe McClelland Fisheries Bursar Dineka Maguire Fisheries Bursar Fearghail Armstrong For further information contact [email protected] © LOUGHS AGENCY OF THE FOYLE CARLINGFORD AND IRISH LIGHTS COMMISSION 2018 Page 6 of 32 COPYRIGHT © 2018 LOUGHS AGENCY OF THE FOYLE CARLINGFORD AND IRISH LIGHTS COMMISSION EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Biological data, temporal and spatial distribution of European Smelt (Osmerus eperlanus L.) caught as part of targeted surveys carried out on the River Faughan, River Roe and River Foyle and tributaries in 2012, 2016 and 2017 are presented in this report. This follows on from baseline surveys of Foyle smelt populations conducted in 2010. Smelt have been recorded previously from a number of areas within the Foyle system including Coolkeeragh Power Station water intake (Vickers and Watson 1974 & Vickers, 1974) and the estuaries of the River Faughan and River Roe which discharge directly into Lough Foyle (P.Moorehead, Pers com). This report provides information on localised distribution within the River Roe, River Faughan, River Foyle and its tributaries. A previously unreported spawning location has been identified during the 2017 survey with significant numbers of Smelt recorded on the River Mourne in Strabane for the first time. The rationale for developing conservation and protection efforts are also presented. Localised threats are also presented with gravel and substrate dredging on the River Foyle highlighted as one particular issue of significant concern. In 2016 during the Smelt survey on the River Foyle a previously unreported population of the invasive Asian Clam, Corbicula fluminea was recorded for the first time. Subsequent distribution and abundance surveys have been conducted on this new threat to local biodiversity within the Foyle area. Page 7 of 32 COPYRIGHT © 2018 LOUGHS AGENCY OF THE FOYLE CARLINGFORD AND IRISH LIGHTS COMMISSION 1.0 INTRODUCTION The Loughs Agency previously reported on Foyle area European smelt (Osmerus eperlanus L.) stocks in 2011 (Niven, 2011). The baseline surveys of the River Foyle, River Finn, River Deele and Burndennet River conducted in 2010 were presented in addition to data collected from a cooling water intake on the tidal River Foyle in 2008 and 2009. The data collected from 2008 to 2010 contributed towards the Irish Red List, reclassifying the status of European smelt in Ireland from Vulnerable to of Least Concern (King et al, 2011). European smelt were first recorded in the Foyle area in 1973 (Vickers, 1974) during monitoring conducted by the Foyle Fisheries Commission