Anglers have raised concerns about the impact they will have on ecosystems and their wild counterparts
Around 5,000 farmed salmon are estimated to have escaped from a cage off the Co Antrim coast, sparking major concerns for the wild population. A Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs spokesperson said "fisheries staff are currently assessing the situation and any actions that need to be taken".
But the Ulster Angling Federation is worried about the impact the escape will have on the ecosystem and wild salmon populations, which are already stressed.Farmed salmon can pose threats to their wild counterparts through cross-breeding which could weaken genetics. "The farmed fish may enter local rivers and due to their maturity will breed with wild populations altering the genetic structure for the worse causing populations to be less able to survive and reproduce. Salmon populations are under a severe threat of extinction from farm escapes, pollution and poor in-river and sea survival."
A DAERA spokesperson said: "A report was made to the Department on the evening of 29 September 2024 that a rip in the net of a farmed salmon cage had been identified at the site in Glenarm.
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