2025 fish stocking figures
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) restarted the stocking of the Public Angling Estate (PAE) from the department’s Movanagher Fish Farm, for the first since June 2023.
Limited stocking
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.
Window for stocking
The window for stocking the PAE from Movanagher has closed as water temperatures have reached 10 degrees Celsius.
Around 29,500 (3+ years of age) brown trout have been stocked out in the past four weeks. The last stocking was carried out on Wednesday 26 March 2025.
The department is not able to confirm at this stage if further stocking of the PAE will be possible later in the year. Numbers stocked are as follows:
| Area | Amount |
|---|---|
| Moor Lough | 1,500 |
| Ballykeel | 1,000 |
| Brantry | 1,000 |
| Loughbrickland | 1,000 |
| Corry | 1,000 |
| Castlewellan | 1,500 |
| Navar Lakes Glencrewan | 1,000 |
| Navar Lakes Meenameen | 1,000 |
| Navar Lakes Achork | 500 |
| Keenaghan | 500 |
| Stoneyford | 1,000 |
| Bellanaleck (Mill Lough) | 2,500 |
| Cowey | 1,000 |
| Marshallstown | 3,000 |
| Middle South Woodburn | 2,000 |
| Killylane | 4,000 |
| Lough Bradan | 2,000 |
| Altnahinch | 4.000 |