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Enabling Coarse Angling Tourism

through the Provision of Green

Infrastructure

Enabling Coarse Angling Tourism along the

River Barrow Corridor through the Provision

of Green Infrastructure

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What is Green Infrastructure?

Green Infrastructure is a network of naturaland seminatural spaces that conserves

natural ecosystem values and functions

while providing benefit to human

populations.

Social benefits can include a cleaner

environment, developing a sense of place,

improved access, disease and invasive

species regulation, a greater range ofbiodiversity and a marked decrease in anti

social behaviour.

Green Infrastructure should be multifunctional in its design and range of uses.

Linear sites such as the River Barrow

corridor lend themselves perfectly to the

development of Green Infrastructure.

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Why Promote Tourism Coarse Angling?

A tourist angler is any person that crosses a national, state,

or county line for the sole purpose of fishing in an area otherthan ones home territory, (Ditton, Holland, Anderson, March2002).

Year ended 2012, 113,000 tourist anglers visited Ireland fromoverseas contributing 121 million directly to the national

economy of which 22,600 were coarse anglers (TDI, 2013).

There are 47,000 indigenous coarse anglers of which 17,000make overnight fishing trips (TDI, 2013).

There are 146,000 specialist UK coarse anglers who travel to

fish (EA, Our Nations Fisheries 2004).

Tourist Coarse Anglers spend 150 - 200 per day.

Only 6% of holiday visitors to Ireland overnight in the southeast region (Failte Ireland, 2009).

66% of tourist anglers to Ireland make repeat visits.

Potential target markets: UK, Holland, Italy and Poland.

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Why Target the United Kingdom?

1. Britain is Irelands main holiday visitormarket by percentage at 45%.

2. UK rod licence sales are up 35% to 1.47million 2001 2010.

3. UK coarse fishing activity increased by 26%between 2000 2005.

4. 970,000 UK citizens go fishing at least onceper month.

5. 26 million out of 30 million rod days weredevoted to coarse fishing (Radford, 2007).

6. Coarse fishing generates 800 million gross

added value (GAV) to the British economy(Radford, 2007).

7. The UK Angling Trust RIVERFESTinitiative,now in its second year, has rekindled theinterest in coarse fishing moving waters.

8. The 2014 RIVERFEST final will see 60

anglers compete along the River Wye for29,000 in prize money.

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Profile of a Tourist Angler

1. Those who travel with the primary motiveof fishing are specialists (Radford,

Riddington, Gibson, July 2009) .

2. Tourist anglers are experienced, have

more money invested in equipment, and

have different motivations, (Hunt, Ditton,1996).

3. Male, aged 35 55.

4. Likes travelling in Groups.

5. Car is the preferred mode of transport.

6. Tends to stay on average 4 7 days.7. Likes mixed species fishing.

8. Tourist anglers to Ireland like a more

rounded experience, its not just the fish.

9. Base their final travel decision on a

trusted individuals recommendation.

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Factors which Encourage Anglers to go Fishing:

Access: 23%, Angling Facilities: 10%, Companionship: 45%

Ref: UK Environmental Agency, Public Attitudes to Angling, 2010

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Promotion of Coarse Angling as a Tourism Product

Requires Access to the Best Fishing Locations

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Modern coarse angling tackle, bait and ground

bait requirements necessitate vehicular accessto enable anglers reach the best swims.

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Development of coarse angling infrastructure utilising

Managed Vehicular Access in tandem with a FocusedMarketing Campaign is key to attracting this important

Activity Tourist Market Segment.

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The Lough Muckno Project

A public/private collaborative plan which

created an International standard coarse

angling venue capable of hosting International

events.

Managed vehicular access to 220 anglingstations which meet CIPS requirements.

Opened in Oct 2012 the project attracted over

500,000 sterling of intereg funding.

Has increased angler related bed nights from

600 pre to 12,000 post development.

Held the European Police Coarse Angling

Championships 20 x 5 man teams plus

mentors and friends deposited 400,000.

Based on angler spend matrices the venuedelivered between 1.8 - 2.4 million in 2013.

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Lough Muckno: Rated by UK based Professional Coarse

Angler Mark Pollard (Shimano/Dynamite Baits) as thebest Coarse Match Angling Venue in Ireland.

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Athy: 20 pegs on right hand bank adjacent to Pettitts

Supervalu.

Athy: 25 pegs in the Marina Enables winter fishingwhen Barrow is in flood Enables safe fishing venue for

juveniles and special needs anglers - fishes very well

from Oct. through to May.

Athy: Match stretch to CIPS standards will enable the

hosting of International competitions Ardreigh Lock to

Malones Weir 1.88 km (Equates to 94 anglers at 20

meter intervals).

Athy/Carlow: Another possible alternative match stretch:

Levittstown Maganey: 2.67 km (Equates to 133 anglersat 20 meter intervals).

Graiguenamanagh: Carrigleade Lock to Bahana Wood

1.74 km (Equates to 87 anglers at 20 meter intervals).

St Mullins: From the Island south to St Mullins Quay

1.km. (Equates to 50 anglers at 20 meter intervals)

Possible Development Locations for Coarse Fishing

Infrastructure within the River Barrow Corridor

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Vehicular Access Modus Operandi:

Community Managed Gated System allowingopen entry/exit for pedestrians/cyclists anglers

with vehicles will have to book.

Refundable 50.00 deposit on keys.

Entry/exit for vehicles is based on a one way

system.

The number of vehicles on any given section is

restricted two anglers minimum per vehicle.

Vehicular parking on lay byes provided only.

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Hotel Accommodation

Carlow/Kildare

Based on two people sharing.

Seven Oaks Hotel, Carlow Town 90

rooms 180 beds.

Dolmen Hotel, Carlow Town 80 rooms

160 beds.

Lord Bagenal, Leighlinbridge 40 rooms 80 beds.

Talbot Hotel, Carlow Town 84 rooms

168 beds.

Clanard Court Hotel, Athy 37 rooms

74 beds.

Total: 662 beds.

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Conclusion

Modifying the River Barrow towpaths to

enable coarse angling tourism will have

minimal impact on the existing infrastructure

as only a maximum of 7.29 kms across three

strategic locations between Athy and St

Mullins will be developed in a naturalfashion.

The return on investment (ROI) based on the

Lough Muckno Project, upon which the

current plan is modelled, can potentiallyachieve payback within one year.

Angling infrastructure round Lough Muckno

generated inclusive of grant aid close to 3

million within 18 months of being opened.

The natural amenity of Lough Muckno has

not changed.