Salmon Life Centre strives ahead

Salmon Life Centre strives ahead


€50k feasibility study identifies town’s ‘Salmon Quarter’

Anna-Marie Flynn

A COMPREHENSIVE plan for a Salmon Life Centre in Ballina has moved one step further with the presentation of a €50,000 feasibility report on the project last weekend.
The study, commissioned by the North Western Regional Fisheries Board (NWRFB) and co-funded by Fáilte Ireland, Ballina Town Council and Mayo County Council with the support of Ballina Chamber of Commerce and the Marine Institute, was unveiled by study co-ordinator and Director of Tourism Development International (TDI), David McNulty, at a presentation evening in Mount Falcon Country House Hotel on Friday.
Details of the Salmon Life Centre, to include a salmon museum, live salmon show, angling information, education centre, riverside café and retail outlet, as well as an identified ‘Salmon Quarter’ along the Moy, were presented as part of the findings. 
Describing the report as ‘very positive’, Vincent Roche, CEO of NWRFB, said: “The idea of a Salmon Life Centre would be the provision of a facility which would track the life cycle of the salmon to really give tourists and locals alike an insight into what angling and salmon fishing is all about.”
Chairperson of NWRFB, John Walkin, deemed the proposed visitor centre a ‘logical extension’ to the river Moy and said that, despite its simple concept, the plan could add greatly to the fishing experience in Ballina.
“It will really put Ballina on the map. Our intention is that the centre will not only tell the story of the salmon but that it will also depict something of the history of the town and its long tradition of fishing. It is our hope that it will utilise state-of-the-art technology to provide the latest information on scientific research findings and provide up-to-the-minute information.”
Town Manager, Paddy Mahon, said that projects such as the car park, amenity area and pedestrian bridge were already in the pipeline, with the Salmon Life Centre seen as a natural progression to complete the area’s rejuvenation.
Remaining positive that the project can be realised despite the current economic difficulties, he said: “Funding may be difficult to get but it is certainly not a stumbling block. We can look towards other avenues such as public private partnership and are quite happy to explore those options,” he said.
If last weekend’s report is approved by stakeholders, a dedicated team will be put in place to plan and oversee the delivery of the project which is firmly aimed at positioning the Moy Catchment as one of the world’s leading salmon destinations.