Fresh eel

Kewreeuss

I believe that eel are caught in Lough Neagh but are all exported.
Would anyone know if they can be bought in that area, if I took a trip up there?
I spoke once to a lady from Limerick city who said that when she was little they were caught in the shannon and eaten frequently in her house.
I've searched the web but can't find anywhere in ireland that sells fresh eel. I ate them in Sardinia where they were cooked on a huge barbeque at a town festival. I would like to give them a try here, if i could find them. I wouldn't mind travelling anywhere to get them.

Fajitas!

I'm pretty sure I've seen them at the English Market in Cork city. I'm not a fish fan, so I haven't really noticed them anywhere else I'm afraid.

flan59

Eel fishing or selling is illegal in the 26 counties at the moment according to the Dept of Fisheries, have a look at the CONSERVATION OF EEL FISHING BYE-LAW NO. C.S. 303, 2009

Kewreeuss

Oh, I didn't know fishing for eel was banned.
I've googled it and it would seem that the ban is on catching eel returning to the sea, while the much bigger problem is the amount of adult eel being caught by the French and Spanish out in the sea.
I wonder how much of an impact the ban in Ireland is going to have since I don't know how much young eel is caught here. As far as I knew the only eel fishery/fisheries was/were up on Lough Neagh.
Any way I'll wait til next year and try again to get them.
Thanks you for the information

dh0661

Seemingly my Grand Dad was a very avid & good fisherman. He use to fish for everything.

Apart from catching the odd salmon & few trout one of my Dad's greatest claim to his fishing "career" is helping his Dad to make a belts (as in those that hold up yous trousers) from eel skins.

CJhaughey

Kewreeuss wrote: »

I wonder how much of an impact the ban in Ireland is going to have since I don't know how much young eel is caught here. As far as I knew the only eel fishery/fisheries was/were up on Lough Neagh.

Ireland banning eel fishing is useless in the greater scheme of things, the ESB kill more eels than all the other sources combined, but the Dept decided to make fishing eels illegal, could have been something to do with the green minister in power at the time as well..... Alone Ireland stands in the EU with regard to banning eel fishing, even in N. Ireland they weren't stupid enough to stop fishing entirely.

Kewreeuss

Umm yes, sometimes it's difficult to understand the rationale behind some of the decisions our government makes.
How do the ESB kill them, is it the powerstation on the shannon?

CJhaughey

Kewreeuss wrote: »

Umm yes, sometimes it's difficult to understand the rationale behind some of the decisions our government makes.
How do the ESB kill them, is it the powerstation on the shannon?

Yes.

Kewreeuss

Ok thanks