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Zebra mussels

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) will restart the stocking of the Public Angling Estate (PAE) from the department’s Movanagher Fish Farm, the first since June 2023.

Stocking was suspended because of the identification of zebra mussels, an invasive species, at the fish farm.

DAERA and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) have been working to develop stocking protocols to make sure compliance with the Wildlife Order (NI) 1985. 

Results from recent sampling at Movanagher and the low water temperature, typically below that for reproduction of zebra mussels, is allowing limited stocking of some PAE waters. This would be part of the usual annual stocking programme. The window for this stocking is likely to be only four to six weeks.

AFBI will continue to assess water samples taken from Movanagher for the presence of live zebra mussel veligers and water temperatures. This is to mitigate the risk of spread of zebra mussels to waters being stocked.

Should water samples be found to contain live zebra mussel veligers (larva) and/or water temperatures increase to 10°C then all stocking will stop.

The waters stocked, with the number of fish and species, will be published on the DAERA website after stocking has been finished.

DAERA is not able to confirm if any further stocking of PAE waters will take place later this year. It continues to work with AFBI to develop a longer-term stocking protocol that will be compliant with the Wildlife Order (NI) 1985.

You can find out more about affected fisheries on the DAERA website:

• Zebra Mussels and impact on fish stocking in the PAE

DAERA policy updates for the 2025 season

• there is no need for a person aged under 12 to have a juvenile season fishing rod licence or permit, if using one rod for game or two rods for coarse - however, juvenile season fishing rod licences for a person aged under 12 are needed for extra rods (more than one rod for game or more than two rods for coarse)
• introduction of a combined juvenile season fishing rod licence covering game and coarse) for a person aged under 19 
• introduction of a combined juvenile season fishing permit (covering game and coarse) for a person aged 12 to 18 years inclusive
• introduction of a combined concessionary season fishing rod licence (covering game and coarse) for people aged 60 and over and to disabled people receiving a qualifying benefit
• introduction of a combined concessionary season fishing permit (covering game and coarse) for a person aged 60 and over and to a disabled person receiving a qualifying benefit
• a person holding a game fishing permit may fish at either a Public Angling Estate (PAE) game or coarse fishery - only one game permit is needed to fish at all PAE fisheries
• a person holding a coarse fishing permit may only fish at a PAE coarse fishery - only one coarse permit is needed to fish at all PAE coarse fisheries

Before you start

You will need:

• your name, address and date of birth
• your National Insurance Number if you're applying for a disabled rod licence and permit
• to read and understand the conditions of sale before you buy
• a Northern Ireland  Identity Assurance (NIDA) or Government Gateway sign-in - you may need to create a new account

Note: Fishing licences from England and Wales are not valid in Northern Ireland.

Distributors

You can also buy your rod licence, permit or day tickets from a DAERA authorised distributor.  

Inland Fisheries

If you have any problems with the online system, DAERA fishing licences and permits can be bought by contacting the Inland Fisheries Portadown Office.

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You can find out how any personal information you send to DAERA Inland Fisheries when using this service will be handled by viewing their privacy notice. 

• Accessibility statement for angling licence, permit and enforcement system (LPE)