0:00:29 > 0:00:31Hello and welcome to a new season
0:00:31 > 0:00:34and a new series of Home Ground.
0:00:34 > 0:00:35Over the next four weeks,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38we'll be celebrating the richness of rural life -
0:00:38 > 0:00:41its people, places and stories.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44And here's what is coming up on tonight's programme.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Home Ground goes underground.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52There's a honeycomb of abandoned mines under our feet
0:00:52 > 0:00:55and these days they've got some new inhabitants.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58It's one of the busiest harbours in Ireland.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02So what will Brexit mean for the fishing industry in Kilkeel?
0:01:04 > 0:01:07And I've been finding out how the humble trout is helping save
0:01:07 > 0:01:11an endangered species in the Ballinderry River.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13We're not trying to take all the fish out of this section of river...
0:01:13 > 0:01:16- OK.- ..because we obviously want some fish to spawn here.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18That doesn't make me feel as bad now!
0:01:23 > 0:01:26But first tonight, we're here in County Fermanagh
0:01:26 > 0:01:28at the Crom Estate,
0:01:28 > 0:01:31where preparations are under way to open the doors to the public
0:01:31 > 0:01:32after the winter break.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40On the shores of upper Lough Erne,
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Crom is one of Ireland's most important conservation areas
0:01:44 > 0:01:48and surely enjoys one of the best locations.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51The estate is home to all sorts of wildlife and plants,
0:01:51 > 0:01:55but something that sets this place apart is the abundance
0:01:55 > 0:01:57of important woodland and trees.
0:01:58 > 0:01:59It's sort of 50-50 make-up.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01So 50% woodland on the estate,
0:02:01 > 0:02:0350% trees,
0:02:03 > 0:02:06- so a thousand acres of each.- OK.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08So it's fair to say the trees are part of the main attraction here?
0:02:08 > 0:02:10Oh, definitely. Yes.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12We have the largest area of oak woodland in Northern Ireland.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Wow!
0:02:14 > 0:02:16But of course it's not all about the oak trees.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19- No, definitely not.- Look at these. SHE GASPS
0:02:19 > 0:02:20The yews.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24- How old are these?- To be honest, that's debated quite a bit.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28It all basically boils down to the fact that if you look at the trees,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31both of them either side, there's loads and loads of stems
0:02:31 > 0:02:34sort of all twined and joined together.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36So to get the accurate age is difficult.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39But the best estimate is that the female tree,
0:02:39 > 0:02:40which is this tree here,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42is somewhere about 500 years old.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45And the male tree, it's thought that it's about 100 years younger,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47so round about 400.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51A very naive question - how can you tell this is female and that's male?
0:02:51 > 0:02:53This time of the year, with the female it's a little bit difficult
0:02:53 > 0:02:57to tell. But the female has red berries in the autumn-winter time.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01Actually, at the minute you can see on the male tree, the flowers.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03You can see them on the outside,
0:03:03 > 0:03:05the wee yellow... Little flowers growing.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07Imagine, you know, 500 years...
0:03:08 > 0:03:10..the stories this tree could tell.
0:03:14 > 0:03:15And they're pretty famous, too.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Yes, they are indeed.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20They would be on several registers of ancient trees, veteran trees,
0:03:20 > 0:03:24whatnot. Going back in the 1600s there are records of them.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27They wrote about O'Neill bidding farewell to his love
0:03:27 > 0:03:30under the already ancient yew of Crom and stuff like that.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34So they go right back in the history books.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37They're really special. It's lovely to be here.
0:03:37 > 0:03:38Yeah.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42'And there is something magical about this place.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45'Not just the look of the twisted and gnarled wood,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49'but here underneath the canopy, it feels like a different world.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51'It's like stepping into a fairy tale.'
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Is there a lot of work in maintaining these yews?
0:03:55 > 0:03:57To be honest, we leave them at it.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01They don't grow massively quick.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03And the only thing we would step in with,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06say there was a branch hanging right down or something like that,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09or something that was obviously dangerous, we might remove that.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12But to be honest, we try and step back and don't really interfere
0:04:12 > 0:04:14with them.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16But other trees here do need attention.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20The winter months are the important time of the year for conservation
0:04:20 > 0:04:24on the estate, with rangers hard at work making sure the estate
0:04:24 > 0:04:27is at its best as it opens again to the public.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Today is about making sure the trees are cleared of dead wood
0:04:31 > 0:04:32and any signs of disease.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38This is a tree on the entrance avenue that's identified
0:04:38 > 0:04:41as showing the first signs of a bit of dieback.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45So just as a preventative measure, they are looking at taking this limb
0:04:45 > 0:04:49away here that's extending over the avenue just in case if ever it came
0:04:49 > 0:04:53down on the avenue or on a windy day.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56I guess you've got visitors coming in and out here all the time
0:04:56 > 0:05:00so it poses a bit of a safety risk, but dieback, did you say?
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Just at the very ends, you may be able to see,
0:05:03 > 0:05:04especially just out this side,
0:05:04 > 0:05:07some of the tips of the branches are not looking very healthy.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09And why is that? Have they just weathered?
0:05:09 > 0:05:13- Is that just age?- It could be age as well, but there is some fungus
0:05:13 > 0:05:16here on the far side as well, so there's probably some...
0:05:16 > 0:05:18- Oh, yeah.- Something at work here in this tree,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21but that's not uncommon on an old tree like this.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24How old would this tree be?
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Crikey, it could be 200 years old possibly...
0:05:27 > 0:05:29- Really?- ..or fairly close to it anyway.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33'Colin has been working on trees here for over 15 years
0:05:33 > 0:05:37'and he certainly knows a thing or two about how to climb them.'
0:05:41 > 0:05:45Do you find that the trees on the estate require special treatment
0:05:45 > 0:05:48- generally?- There is a lot of veterans or a lot of old
0:05:48 > 0:05:51sort of mature trees here so you don't like working on them unless
0:05:51 > 0:05:55you have to and that's probably the National Trust's policy here.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Only really do things if they have to,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01if it's a danger either to buildings or people.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06I'm just going to go out that limb now, Jo.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08- OK.- Probably about halfway or so
0:06:08 > 0:06:10and then take those bits off at the end.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14Is there a danger in taking that quite significant branch off there,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Colin, you could cause damage to the rest of the tree?
0:06:19 > 0:06:24There would be a slight risk that you're creating a large wound
0:06:24 > 0:06:27in the tree that sort pathogens can get into the tree,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29but you've got to weigh these things up
0:06:29 > 0:06:31with the risk to the public as well.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36The tree is declining in health so it just makes sense to take this off
0:06:36 > 0:06:38just as a preventative measure.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44I'll make sure the final cut leaves the minimum surface area
0:06:44 > 0:06:46for any pathogens to get into.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49So we'll hopefully do the best we can for it anyway.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57Trees generally, they store their defence mechanisms just sort of
0:06:57 > 0:07:01at that branch collar which is just about here so we're going to try
0:07:01 > 0:07:06and take it off. That's roughly 90 degrees to that branch collar,
0:07:06 > 0:07:10so not too flush in with the stem and that will give the tree the best
0:07:10 > 0:07:12chance to protect itself against infection
0:07:12 > 0:07:14coming in through that wound there.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19I'm happy enough with that, Jo.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Any more, I'd be going into the tree itself,
0:07:21 > 0:07:23so I'm happy enough with that.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27- Good.- A cup of tea time?
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Now, did you know there is an underground maze of old mines
0:07:33 > 0:07:35beneath the Northern Irish countryside?
0:07:35 > 0:07:40I've been to Mallusk in County Antrim to discover this hidden world
0:07:40 > 0:07:42and the things which live there.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51This might just look like regular farmland,
0:07:51 > 0:07:55but hidden beneath my feet is a labyrinth of tunnels,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57physical reminders of our mining past.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05'Today I'm at Lyle Hill near Mallusk with Geological Survey NI
0:08:05 > 0:08:07'who maintain these mines.'
0:08:07 > 0:08:09- Morning, Kieran.- Morning, Gavin. - How are you?
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- Doing good.- What's the plan of attack today?
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Well, what we're going to do is look at one of the old iron ore mines
0:08:15 > 0:08:18and bauxite mines in Northern Ireland.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20There is a network of these across County Antrim.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Hundreds of them around the country.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26There is roughly 2,500 old mines working throughout Northern Ireland
0:08:26 > 0:08:28in different places, County Antrim,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31but specifically on the iron ore and the bauxite,
0:08:31 > 0:08:35where the industry only took off in the middle of the 19th century,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38steadily declined in the early 20th century,
0:08:38 > 0:08:43however it reappeared again during the Second World War.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45There is a real maze of tunnels to see today?
0:08:45 > 0:08:50Yes, this is an original mine plan when the mine closed up.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52This is from 1945.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55This as where we stand just outside this entrance here.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57As we look at the plan,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59it's 650 metres long,
0:08:59 > 0:09:05350 metres wide and there is almost 9km of tunnels underground here.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07- Shall we take a look? - Yeah, let's go.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12'We're heading into a subterranean world, rarely visited today.'
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Kieran, what were they mining in here, then?
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Well, this mine was first driven into the hillside
0:09:19 > 0:09:22in 1880 for iron ore.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25It closed down in the early 1900s
0:09:25 > 0:09:30and then it was reopened again in 1942 for its bauxite properties.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34You can see here on the rock, you have the iron ore...
0:09:36 > 0:09:39..seam. This is extending down and what we have at the bottom here
0:09:39 > 0:09:40is a bauxite seam.
0:09:40 > 0:09:45Bauxite is a mineral ore which is processed to make aluminium.
0:09:45 > 0:09:46And it was big in the war?
0:09:46 > 0:09:50It was much needed during the Second World War. There was...
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Demand increased,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55therefore, the Ministry of Aircraft Production
0:09:55 > 0:09:59set about investigations to get reserves because importing reserves
0:09:59 > 0:10:02wasn't possible due to the U-boat threat.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07'During World War II,
0:10:07 > 0:10:09'180 men were employed at this mine
0:10:09 > 0:10:13'producing 15,000 tons of bauxite per week.'
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I can imagine what conditions would have been like to work
0:10:18 > 0:10:20back in the day.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Yes, well, it would have been done by hand,
0:10:23 > 0:10:24by pickaxe and shovel.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29And the mine itself would have been lit by candles.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32So what you see throughout the mine is a number of these carved out
0:10:32 > 0:10:36into the rock. These would have been done by the miners where they can
0:10:36 > 0:10:38put their candles so that they could work.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40No torches in the '40s.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43No torches, no electricity underground back then.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Let's get on down in. Don't get me lost.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48The mines are mostly used now
0:10:48 > 0:10:50by...
0:10:50 > 0:10:51Different inhabitants?
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Yeah, different inhabitants - badgers, foxes, bats,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58so wildlife has really taken over the space.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02'While the public are advised to keep away,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05'we're in here today under strict supervision along with
0:11:05 > 0:11:08'bat conservationists working in a mine for the very first time.'
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Looking in through the nooks and crannies, I found Dave.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15- How are you?- Hi, there. How's it going?
0:11:15 > 0:11:17How are you getting on with the search for bats today?
0:11:17 > 0:11:20We've been quite lucky today, we've actually found the bats.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23That's a nice wee surprise cos we didn't know whether we were going to
0:11:23 > 0:11:25find any at all down here today.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27This is new for you - this whole experience getting into a mine?
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Absolutely.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31We've never really looked for hibernating bats before
0:11:31 > 0:11:35in Northern Ireland or Ireland as a whole, so, yeah,
0:11:35 > 0:11:37anything that we find is exciting and new for us,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39so, we've been very lucky, though,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41we found a bat around the corner.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44So, yeah, do you want to go and have a look?
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Yeah. Let's go for it. You lead the way.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Well, most people I know are scared of bats.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55What got you into them?
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Well, your friends wouldn't be alone in being frightened of bats.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Most people have quite a few misconceptions about them,
0:12:01 > 0:12:02from getting stuck in your hair
0:12:02 > 0:12:04and carrying disease and things like that,
0:12:04 > 0:12:08but, no, I think they are amazing little creatures.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Are there many different types of species in Northern Ireland?
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Where would you generally find them?
0:12:12 > 0:12:16We've got eight different species of bat in Northern Ireland.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19There's nine in the island of Ireland as a whole.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23- Where would you find them? - Well, at this time of year,
0:12:23 > 0:12:25down mines because they're going to be hibernating.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Places like this because generally bats are only active in Ireland
0:12:29 > 0:12:32during the summer - spring and summer months.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35When you come into wintertime, they go into hibernation.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38They're looking for nice, cold, cool places like this.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41This is the hibernating bat.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45We've found one and he's hanging in the top of the chamber here.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47I feel like I need to keep my voice down. Not to disturb...
0:12:47 > 0:12:52Yeah, I think we really don't want to disturb hibernating bats
0:12:52 > 0:12:53because at this time of year,
0:12:53 > 0:12:55there's not many food resources for them
0:12:55 > 0:12:58so if they do wake up, they've got to use all their food resources
0:12:58 > 0:13:03that they've saved up for the winter, just like hibernating bears.
0:13:03 > 0:13:04It's a myotis bat.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07We've got three species of those in Northern Ireland.
0:13:07 > 0:13:12So this is one of the species of bat which in Britain that they monitor
0:13:12 > 0:13:16populations by going down in mines like this and looking for them.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19So this is kind of exciting because we've never done it.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21We've never found hibernating bats like this.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25So, hopefully this will be the first of many adventures underground
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- that we will be taking.- He's in bat heaven up there, isn't he?
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Yeah, he's having sweet dreams.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Very sweet dreams hopefully.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36'Nowadays, the miners may have gone, but thanks to their hard work,
0:13:36 > 0:13:38'our native bats have a home.'
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Kilkeel Harbour is one of the busiest in Ireland with around 1,000
0:13:44 > 0:13:47people employed in the fishing industry there.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Ruth Sanderson has been to the village to see how Brexit
0:13:50 > 0:13:52could affect their future.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59The fishing industry has been in decline throughout the UK
0:13:59 > 0:14:02for several decades. Yet while other ports might be empty,
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Kilkeel bucks the trend.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Around 1,000 people are employed locally in fishing and its related
0:14:08 > 0:14:12businesses and Kilkeel wants to keep expanding.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18These scallops have been caught a few miles off the Kilkeel Harbour
0:14:18 > 0:14:23so they are a fresh product straight in from the sea.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27'Around 20 tonnes of scallops get processed and are exported from here
0:14:27 > 0:14:28'each year, mainly to France.'
0:14:30 > 0:14:34The fishing industry famously was very pro-Brexit,
0:14:34 > 0:14:36very much wanted out of Europe,
0:14:36 > 0:14:38said it would be a lot stronger for the industry.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40But as a businessman who exports to Europe,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42what are your thoughts on it?
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Well, my thoughts on Brexit,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47it's going to be good for the fishing and the processing industry.
0:14:47 > 0:14:52Fishing-wise, we'll get a fairer share of the quota in the UK waters
0:14:52 > 0:14:56which will bring more raw materials into the processing market
0:14:56 > 0:14:59and as well, the customers that I have been dealing with
0:14:59 > 0:15:01and talking to still want the product from the UK,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04still want the product from Northern Ireland.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06So I can't see a problem of selling our product into Europe.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Even if, say, tariffs were introduced later down the line?
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Later down the line, that's something, a hurdle we'll have to
0:15:12 > 0:15:15cross, but I think the quality of the goods
0:15:15 > 0:15:18coming from Northern Ireland... That the European market
0:15:18 > 0:15:20will still want our products. We've looked further afield.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25We've looked at markets in China and in Hong Kong and the Asian market
0:15:25 > 0:15:29as well. So it has given us a prompt to go further afield as well.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33A lot of people in food production are really panicked about Brexit
0:15:33 > 0:15:37because they rely on seasonal workers and a lot of staff,
0:15:37 > 0:15:38especially from Eastern Europe.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Are you going to face that problem here?
0:15:41 > 0:15:44I don't think we will. I think there is a future for local people,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46that they see the industry building,
0:15:46 > 0:15:51they see that there is a future and they're willing to invest now
0:15:51 > 0:15:53and want to work again at the harbour.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56They can see that there is a brighter future there.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01'But it's not just a good deal from Europe which is needed.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05'The harbour needs to physically expand if it's to make the most
0:16:05 > 0:16:07'of any benefits Brexit might bring.'
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Well, the Endurance is part of the local fleet in Kilkeel
0:16:12 > 0:16:16and the Endurance is undergoing a significant modernisation
0:16:16 > 0:16:20and refurbishment and behind me is a new ship that's been built
0:16:20 > 0:16:24for the Irish Republic and it is one of the great success stories
0:16:24 > 0:16:26about Kilkeel, that we're building boats,
0:16:26 > 0:16:28not just for the local fleet,
0:16:28 > 0:16:30but we're exporting them all over Europe.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Do you have the capacity to build all the boats
0:16:32 > 0:16:33that you need to build?
0:16:33 > 0:16:36If you're getting orders in from the south and from Europe and from...?
0:16:36 > 0:16:40Well, this yard has actually outgrown itself and the problem
0:16:40 > 0:16:44that we have is there is not enough capacity in Kilkeel for all the work
0:16:44 > 0:16:47that we could handle. In fact, the marine engineers tell me
0:16:47 > 0:16:51that about 50% of the inquiries that they get,
0:16:51 > 0:16:53that's work that they have to turn away.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58- Sorry, 50% of the work...- 50%.- The prospective work when people come
0:16:58 > 0:17:01to ask engineers from Kilkeel to work, you have to say,
0:17:01 > 0:17:03"No, I'm sorry, we don't have the room"?
0:17:03 > 0:17:06You look at geographical position of Kilkeel in terms of the east coast
0:17:06 > 0:17:08of Ireland, we're right in the middle, so therefore,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10you can attract trade from the north and you can attract trade from the
0:17:10 > 0:17:15south and attract trade from the east too because we've got a boat
0:17:15 > 0:17:17here today from Fleetwood.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20And the reason they come here is because we've got the facilities,
0:17:20 > 0:17:23we've got the engineers who have the expertise and everything else.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26So Kilkeel is a real hub, it's a real maritime hub,
0:17:26 > 0:17:27it's a real fishing hub,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30but the problem we have now is we don't have the capacity in Kilkeel,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33we don't have the infrastructure in order to handle all the enquiries
0:17:33 > 0:17:37and all the work that we could be doing and when you're in a situation
0:17:37 > 0:17:40where here in Kilkeel we've got three of the largest fishing vessels
0:17:40 > 0:17:44in the European fleet that are too big to get into this harbour
0:17:44 > 0:17:48and have to base themselves in other parts of the United Kingdom,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51there's so much lost opportunity to Kilkeel,
0:17:51 > 0:17:53to County Down and the Northern Ireland economy.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57That's amazing that you've got boats from Kilkeel which are too big
0:17:57 > 0:18:00to actually get into your harbour here?
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Absolutely. We have a new ship being built at the moment.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04It is called the Voyager. It's owned by a local family.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06It's crewed by a local family.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08It is 100% private investment,
0:18:08 > 0:18:12but that ship is traditionally based on Shetland because there is no
0:18:12 > 0:18:15infrastructure in Northern Ireland to bring that ship in to.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17- Hiya.- Hello, there.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19'But the ships that do land their catch here,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22'a lot is riding on the Brexit negotiations.'
0:18:22 > 0:18:25So what are you fishing for on this boat?
0:18:25 > 0:18:26Mostly prawns.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Nearly all year round, we're targeting prawns.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31And you're about to go out again.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33- Where are you off to now? - We're going to head south again,
0:18:33 > 0:18:37back down to the Celtic sea. It takes us about 20 hours.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Steaming to get there.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41I take it you were pro-Brexit yourself?
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Yes, definitely.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46What are you hoping for going forward?
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Instead of being governed by Brussels -
0:18:48 > 0:18:52Brussels tell us what we can catch, you know, when we can catch it,
0:18:52 > 0:18:57you know, where we can fish, and I want us to take control,
0:18:57 > 0:19:01stop a lot of the European boats coming in and over-fishing
0:19:01 > 0:19:04our areas, certain areas.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Big super trawlers and, you know...
0:19:08 > 0:19:10But mainly, I hope that...
0:19:12 > 0:19:15..we can start looking after our industry ourselves.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18When they sign Article 50, hopefully they don't sell us down the river.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22- That's the fear, isn't it? - That is our fear.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26They use us as a bargaining chip to keep some other things in Europe,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30you know, for whatever reasons, but that is one of our biggest fears.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34What fishermen here in Kilkeel and County Down want is absolutely
0:19:34 > 0:19:38a fair share of the opportunities that are within UK waters.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42But when a fisherman in County Down is asked on annual basis
0:19:42 > 0:19:43to give up quota,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46to give up the quota that the scientists have recommended,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49that should be given away to their colleagues in the Irish Republic,
0:19:49 > 0:19:53that's an EU rule. The deal needs to be fairer.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58And when 75% of the waters in the Irish Sea are under the UK's
0:19:58 > 0:20:00jurisdiction, you tell me,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03is it fair that County Down fishermen should have around 40%
0:20:03 > 0:20:05of the catches in the Irish Sea? I don't think so.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08So what's the future for this harbour?
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Well, the future for the fishing industry in County Down
0:20:11 > 0:20:14and specifically Kilkeel is bright.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18As I walk out round the quay in Kilkeel and I talk to fishermen,
0:20:18 > 0:20:19those guys are saying to me,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22"There's a future and we're investing in the future."
0:20:22 > 0:20:25We're investing in the future for ourselves and we're investing in the
0:20:25 > 0:20:29future for our children. So all the signs are positive.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34'Not only could fishing in Kilkeel continue to grow,
0:20:34 > 0:20:36'but it could bolster the entire local economy.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39'So will the gamble to leave Europe pay off?
0:20:39 > 0:20:41'Only time will tell.'
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Trout are now common in our rivers and lakes,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51but because of declining numbers in the past,
0:20:51 > 0:20:53some still need a little help.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55I've been to the Ballinderry River to find out
0:20:55 > 0:20:59how a healthy trout population benefits the river's ecology.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11'The Ballinderry River and surrounding area support
0:21:11 > 0:21:13'an abundance of wildlife,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16'but this river catchment has suffered from pollution.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20'Worryingly, low levels of fish stocks in the 1980s
0:21:20 > 0:21:23'prompted the establishment of the Ballinderry Rivers Trust
0:21:23 > 0:21:25'who've made it their mission
0:21:25 > 0:21:28'to keep this river system clean and healthy.'
0:21:28 > 0:21:32Well, Mark, you're fully kitted out, complete with shades.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Tell us about some of the work you're doing today.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38OK, so what we're doing today is electro-fishing and the reason we're
0:21:38 > 0:21:42doing this is to catch larger fish to bring back our hatchery
0:21:42 > 0:21:44so we can take the eggs from them
0:21:44 > 0:21:48and grow those eggs on in the hatchery so we can breed fish
0:21:48 > 0:21:49to put back into the river again.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52And the shades so you can see rather than look cool?
0:21:52 > 0:21:54They're not just to make me look cool, no!
0:21:54 > 0:21:57The shades help me to see through the water.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01So at this time of year when we're looking for these fish,
0:22:01 > 0:22:02the sun is very low in the sky...
0:22:03 > 0:22:05..and it reflects on the water.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07It's quite hard to see the fish and these help me to see right
0:22:07 > 0:22:09to the bed of the river.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11I didn't pay a lot of attention at school,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14but I'm pretty sure electricity and water doesn't really go too well
0:22:14 > 0:22:17- together?- Well, you learnt the important lesson, then.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20You shouldn't mix electricity with water!
0:22:20 > 0:22:22Nobody should really try this at home.
0:22:22 > 0:22:27But it is the standard method that is used across Europe and the world
0:22:27 > 0:22:30and essentially what we're doing here is just putting a very small
0:22:30 > 0:22:35electrical current - just enough to attract the fish towards this lance
0:22:35 > 0:22:37that I have in the water.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39What kind of fish are we expecting to see today?
0:22:39 > 0:22:42We're looking here for Dollaghan trout
0:22:42 > 0:22:47and Dollaghan trout are unique to the Lough Neagh basin.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52So they are born in the rivers here, in the Ballinderry
0:22:52 > 0:22:54and all the other rivers around Lough Neagh
0:22:54 > 0:22:56and at two years of age
0:22:56 > 0:22:58they go to the lough.
0:22:58 > 0:22:59- Here's fish now.- There we go.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02- So we're starting to... - Oh, that's a biggie.- Yeah.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Well done.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Good recovery. What's that?
0:23:08 > 0:23:12'It's not long before more fish are drawn towards us.'
0:23:12 > 0:23:14There is your fish there.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16- There we go.- Lift him up. Brilliant.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18- Well done.- Jackpot.
0:23:18 > 0:23:19Here, here, here.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Oh, that's a biggie.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24- That's it. Lift him up. - Ooh, he is big.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28There we go.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30Mouth open. Get him out of the water.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36There we go. A few leaves in there for good measure.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38You're doing well. We're doing well.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44There's actually a good number of young fish in here that we're seeing
0:23:44 > 0:23:47- as we go, which is a good sign. - Yeah, that's encouraging for you.
0:23:47 > 0:23:52Yeah, because it means that fish that were hatched out of their eggs
0:23:52 > 0:23:56in March of this year or in fact even March of the previous year
0:23:56 > 0:23:59are still here living in this section of the river.
0:23:59 > 0:24:00Now, that one has got away.
0:24:00 > 0:24:01That's OK.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05- It's nice to let one or two away. - Yeah.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08We're not trying to take all the fish out of this section of river
0:24:08 > 0:24:11because we obviously want some fish to spawn here.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13That doesn't make me feel as bad now!
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- That's what we're looking for. - It is, yeah.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19'Well, it has been a pretty successful day out on the river.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22'Time to get these guys back into the hatchery.'
0:24:23 > 0:24:25I think that's a fantastic-looking fish.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27And hopefully she'll give us plenty of eggs
0:24:27 > 0:24:28to put down in the hatchery here.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32'Frank Mitchell has 20 years' experience in this hatchery
0:24:32 > 0:24:34'and is going to show me how it's done.'
0:24:34 > 0:24:37And if she's just right, the skin should be loose here
0:24:37 > 0:24:40and the eggs are all lying in the cavity of the fish here.
0:24:40 > 0:24:46If we just add a nice piece of pressure and the fish settles down,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50hopefully we should be fit to take the eggs from the fish.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54Now you can see the eggs come from the fish.
0:24:54 > 0:24:55I'm no expert, but that looks good.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Yeah.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02I suppose it has been a few years of practice to get this skill.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05And you try to do it without harming the fish.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Essentially the cell wall of the egg has to open
0:25:09 > 0:25:14to allow the milt in and then we gently agitate the eggs...
0:25:15 > 0:25:17..so they all become fertilised.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Are they getting lighter or it just me?
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Yeah, you can see them getting lighter because they're getting
0:25:22 > 0:25:25fertilised so they're actually starting to change colour.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Going kind of from red to orange?
0:25:27 > 0:25:29It literally does happen in front of your eyes.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32'Breeding in the hatchery increases the chances of success
0:25:32 > 0:25:36'by an incredible 90% and a healthy fish population
0:25:36 > 0:25:39'has a knock-on effect on the whole ecosystem.'
0:25:39 > 0:25:42So, these are freshwater pearl mussels
0:25:42 > 0:25:45and this is a globally endangered species.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49The freshwater pearl mussel is now only found in five rivers
0:25:49 > 0:25:52in Northern Ireland and the Ballinderry is one of them.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56Historically, we would have had hundreds of thousands,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58if not millions of them in our rivers
0:25:58 > 0:26:00and we're now down to the last few thousand
0:26:00 > 0:26:02in each of those five rivers.
0:26:02 > 0:26:07But they are an unusual creature because they need fish to survive.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12So the males and the females are sitting here in this tank
0:26:12 > 0:26:16and the male releases sperm into the water which is taken in
0:26:16 > 0:26:22by the female and they're fertilised and then the female releases
0:26:22 > 0:26:24microscopic mussels into the water.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28It's at that point those microscopic mussels have to attach to the
0:26:28 > 0:26:31gills of a fish and in our river it is trout they attach to.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34So the big picture becomes clear.
0:26:34 > 0:26:35Yeah, absolutely.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38So if you don't have very good numbers of fish in the river,
0:26:38 > 0:26:40these guys haven't got a hope at all.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43So by redressing the balance of fish in the river,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45we're also helping to preserve these mussels
0:26:45 > 0:26:47and save them from extinction.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51And then we've put those fish carrying their precious cargo
0:26:51 > 0:26:54out into the Ballinderry River to drop them on the bed of the river
0:26:54 > 0:26:55as it would have happened naturally.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58So what's the future looking like for the pearl mussel?
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Well, the future for the pearl mussel in the Ballinderry
0:27:01 > 0:27:03at least is looking a bit brighter now
0:27:03 > 0:27:05because of the work we've been doing here.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08We've been able to release freshwater pearl mussel
0:27:08 > 0:27:10back to the river and we're just about to start
0:27:10 > 0:27:12a major reintroduction programme.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18'It's the end of the day and this is what it's all about -
0:27:18 > 0:27:21'releasing these endangered mussels back into the river.'
0:27:23 > 0:27:25- What's the technique to pop them in? - So it's not complicated,
0:27:25 > 0:27:27you'll be glad to hear!
0:27:27 > 0:27:29We have to make sure that we get it the right way round.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32So this is the bottom of the mussel here where the hinge
0:27:32 > 0:27:36is at the lowest place and then we put it facing upstream
0:27:36 > 0:27:37into the flow of water.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41So those mussels, believe it or not, do wiggle around in the gravel
0:27:41 > 0:27:43and they allow oxygenated water to get to the fish eggs
0:27:43 > 0:27:46and so very often where there's lots of mussels,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48more trout would survive as well.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50It is a really close relationship the two have.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54Are these the days when you really feel your work is really worthwhile?
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Absolutely. Yeah, yeah.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59It's great when you can come out, get away from the computer,
0:27:59 > 0:28:01come out to the river and this is making a real difference
0:28:01 > 0:28:04to the conservation of a globally endangered species.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Not just for those mussels,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09but for all the people that live in this river system as well.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13That's all for this episode of Home Ground.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15Join us at the same time next week.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17- We'll see you, then.- Bye-bye.