Fisheries protection officers have made an appeal to those fishing for salmon in rivers in Ireland to report any catches of Pacific pink salmon.

Thirty have been caught since the end of June in a range of fisheries along the west and northwest coast.

Inland Fisheries Ireland says the presence of the species in Ireland is of concern as it could have a negative impact on the future of native Atlantic salmon populations.

This is because they could potentially introduce parasites and pathogens that may damage native fish stocks.

Pink or humpback salmon are native to river systems in the northern Pacific Ocean as well as nearby regions of the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean.

They can also be found in rivers in northern Norway and in the far northwest of Russia, as a result of stocking programmes in that region of Russia.

There is no licence to farm them here in Ireland.

Among the more recent discoveries of the species here was a capture of a mature male ready to spawn on the River Erriff in Mayo.

IFI wants anglers to report any catches of the invasive species to it by calling 1890 347 424.

Pink salmon have large black oval spots on the tail, 11-19 rays on the anal fin, very small scale, no dark spots on the gill cover and an upper jaw typically extending beyond the eye.