Wild Atlantic Salmon

The Wild Atlantic Salmon is one of the world’s natural wonders. Known as the king of fish, it spawns in rivers, spends a life at sea, and then returns once more to the exact tributary it was born to spawn again. This incredible fish is part of our heritage, culture, and folklore and represents clean pristine waters and a healthy ecological system. While there is no question about the worth of the salmon, stocks have been declining and Joleen and Jack speak to three different people whose lives have been influenced by this majestic species. 

First up is Sally Barnes, a key figure in the Irish artisan food renaissance of the last 40 years. She began traditional smoke-curing as a means to preserve the bounty that she and her husband at the time were catching from the West Cork coastline. Working as a fisherwoman herself, she smoked her first fish in 1979 and through endless trial and error, established a famously unique recipe that began winning awards and accolades for her now legendary cold-smoked Wild Atlantic Salmon. These days Sally runs a school in the Woodcock smokery, near Castletownshend in West Cork, hosting masterclasses in the artform of hot and cold smoking as well as coastal foraging. 

We spoke to her about why she loves this fish so much, what motivates her to pursue this artisan craft and how she has witnessed first hand the decline in salmon stocks.

We visit Mark Boyden, co-founder of StreamScapes ( http://www.streamscapes.ie ) and the Coomhola Salmon Trust near Bantry in West Cork. This environmental education and research facility engages with schools and community groups promoting awareness of local waters and wildlife. He tells us about the importance of salmon’s presence in our waters and explains about the salmon life cycle. 

StreamScapes have also brought out a beautifully illustrated educational booklet called “Salmon Sanctuaries” about the life of the wild Atlantic salmon which is available as a free download. 

Finally, we chatted to salmon angler Alan Nolan of the Lee Salmon Anglers who has been fascinated by this fish since a child. Spending days at the river bank, he tells about the thrill of the sport, why it is regarded as the King of fish, and how human intervention is putting the salmon in danger. 

As a side note, listeners may be interested in the one-hour documentary “River Runner” (2018) by Declan O’Mahony, which tells the story of the river Lee from the salmon’s perspective and Alan explains in detail the impact of man-made weirs and dams on wild salmon.

The NeighbourFood Podcast is presented by Jack Crotty and Joleen Cronin.

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