Tag Archives: Irish fishermen

That Was Quick!: French Navy backs down from West Cork fishermen

Simon Coveney confirms French navy will stay outside of Irish waters during their upcoming exercises having come under pressure from West Cork fishermen. The French Navy were planning a huge exercise – involving missile tests – off our southwest coast later this week and it was set to be even bigger than the one the Russians had to postpone earlier this year. However, as the Russians found out, the French Atlantic fleet had to reckon with Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, with their headquarters in Castletownbere. >click to read< 17:15

Irish fishermen who faced down Russians now to protest against French navy’s military drills

Irish fishermen confirmed they are to mount major protests off the south-west coast in a bid to prevent the French navy staging military exercises later this month in important fishing grounds. The protests will mirror the demonstrations planned by west Cork fishermen last January to disrupt planned military exercises by the Russian navy in fishing waters off the south-west coast. French naval forces are planning an exercise for June 23-25,,, “The Albacore tuna fishery is opening for Irish vessels on June 23,,, >click to read< 07:35

Irish fishermen “absolutely thrilled” with Russian decision not to conduct naval exercises in Ireland’s EEZ

Simon Coveney this evening confirmed that he has received assurances from his Russian counterpart, confirming the controversial drills will not go ahead within Ireland’s exclusive economic zone, having been planned to take place approximately 240km off the Cork coast. “It was a shock at first, it took me a while to digest it to understand the enormity of what has been achieved here. “We are all just absolutely thrilled with the news today. I must say the only way I can describe it is we threw the pass to Simon Coveney, he caught the ball and scored the try,” Mr Murphy said. >click to read< 19:05

Updated: “Absolute Guarantee” – Wait! There is no Guarantee!

Irish fishing industry meets Russian ambassador over planned naval exercises -Representatives of Ireland’s fishing industry have been issued with an “absolute guarantee” by Russia’s ambassador that their work will not be impacted by Russian naval exercises scheduled for next week. The Irish government confirmed on Sunday that Russia plans to conduct naval and air exercises 240 kilometres off the southwestern coast of Ireland in international waters that lie within Ireland’s exclusive economic zone. >click to read< 07:30

Russians deny fishermen’s claims on naval drills ‘buffer zone’ – In a statement on Friday morning, the Russian Embassy rejected reports based on the statements from the fishing representatives on Thursday that there had been “some kind of ‘agreement’ on some kind of ‘buffer zones’ in the area of the upcoming drills of the Russian Navy in the Atlantic.” >click to read< 08:28

Irish fishermen plan to ‘be there first’ after safety warning over Russian missile tests

The Department of Transport has released an official warning over “live fire” Russian navy exercises set to take place off the southwest Irish coast in February, with some fishermen indicating they intend to disregard the caution. In a marine notice to shipowners and all seafarers, the Department cautioned of “serious safety risks” posed by the exercises involving the launching of rockets. Fisherman have criticised the notice and indicated plans to disregard the warning, with the chief executive of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation saying Irish fishermen “will be there first next week.” >click to read< 09:02

Irish Fishermen plan to peacefully disrupt Russian drills

Irish fishing boats are planning to peacefully disrupt plans by the Russian navy to conduct military exercises off the coast of Cork next month. Patrick Murphy, chief executive of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation said that the area was very important for fishing and that they wanted to protect biodiversity and marine life.,, Mr Coveney had said that the naval exercises were “not welcome”. Mr Filatov said that he had relayed the Minister’s concerns to Moscow. >click to read< 08:08

Time to stand with fishermen

Sinn Féin TD for Louth Imelda Munster has urged the government to stand up for Irish fishermen and end the long-running injustices in the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy. Her comments come after a protest of fishing families took place outside the Convention Cen tre in Dublin.  ‘I am calling on the government to stand up for Irish fishermen and end the injustice of the current Common Fisheries Policy. This terrible policy has devastated Ireland’s fishing communities,’ >click to read< 08:02

Fishermen to stage protest in Dublin to highlight threat to income from Brexit and EU fish quota cuts

The protest will take place on Wednesday, June 23 and will include boats from Dublin, Louth, Donegal, Wexford, Waterford, Kerry, Cork and other counties.,, Irish fishing groups warned their livelihoods are now at stake because of quota cutbacks and the impact of the Brexit deal. “We want a renegotiation of EU Common Fisheries Policy so that Ireland is allocated a fair share of fish quotas that reflect the contribution of our fishing grounds to the EU,” a spokesperson said. Irish fishermen have also demanded that traditional access to fishing grounds around Rockall be reinstated immediately.   >click to read< 10:50

UNITE TO FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE – On 23rd June, Irish fishermen plan to take their campaign to Dublin

A flotilla of over 60 fishing vessels steamed into Cork City last month to protest over quota cuts, the Brexit Deal, SFPA failures and the disastrous EU Common Fisheries Policy. The flotilla consisting of boats from Dingle, Castletownbere, Baltimore, Union Hall, Ballycotton, Kinsale, Dunmore East, Crosshaven, Kilmore Quay and other fishing communities steamed in single file from Roches Point, at the mouth of the harbour, to the docks in Cork city centre for a rally that was attended by nearly a thousand fishermen, friends and family. On 23rd June, Irish fishermen plan to take their campaign to raise public awareness of the plight of the industry to Dublin, building on the profile raised by the recent Cork Show & Tell demo by increasing the number of fishermen and families involved to include more inshore vessels and community groups from around Ireland’s coastal communities. >photos, click to read< 12:12

Tired of being “ignored” by politicians, Irish Fishermen to set up political movement

There is no name yet for the movement, but organisers are planning to hold a series of public meetings in coastal towns and villages. Patrick Murphy, CEO of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, said the ambition is to organise a national “roadshow” to gauge opinion and to promote the need for more TDs dedicated to rural Ireland. He said: “We are sick of politicians promising us the earth while in opposition, only for them to ignore us when they get into power. >click to read< 16:57

Boris Johnson’s Brexit Deal Under Fire From British Fishermen, More

Boris Johnson’s Brexit negotiations are being heavily criticised by UK fishermen who are faced with the possibility of going out of business, thanks to the terms of the Brexit fishing deal,,, >click to read<

Fishermen brand Brexit trade deal a ‘betrayal’ – new year may not bring the hoped for Brexit bounty for Scottish fishermen as industry leaders  express their misgivings. >click to read<

EU crumbles as Irish fishermen turn on allies. ‘Macron got what HE wanted!’ – Irish fishermen have turned on their European allies over their English Channel access and quota allowances, arguing France got what they demanded in the post-Brexit trade deal with the UK. >click to read< 17:00

So long and thanks for all the fish: Irish fishermen say UK Brexit position could spell ‘unmitigated disaster’

Although a debate between the UK and EU around immigration has garnered more headlines in recent years, fishing rights are perhaps the most tangible example of why the UK wanted to leave in the first place.  Over two-thirds of the EU’s fishing waters, and two-thirds of the EU’s fishing catch, belong to Ireland and the UK. Around half of Ireland’s fishing catch take place in UK waters.  Now that the UK is leaving (and, theoretically, taking its waters with it) Ireland’s fishermen and fishing industry are under threat of being locked out of waters that had been frequented by Irish trawlers long before either country joined the EU. >click to read< 23:11

Coronavirus: Irish Fishermen advised to stop fishing due to market collapse

Fishermen in the south and west of Ireland have been advised to cease fishing this weekend following what has been described as a ‘complete collapse of the market’ here and in Europe. The Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation said it would be irresponsible to keep landing fish if it is only going to be discarded. The Chief Executive Patrick Murphy said a specific financial package needs to be put in place for the fishing industry otherwise there will be utter devastation. >click to read< 20:10

Why Irish fishers are right to be worried about the UK taking back control of its waters

Many warning alarms have already been raised over Brexit, but Irish fishers may suffer the most substantial blow yet in the fallout from the UK leaving the EU. Earlier this year, the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation flagged that Ireland will be denied hundreds of thousands of tonnes of its annual haul post-Brexit. The group’s point was a simple one. When Britain leaves the EU, Irish fishers will be barred from entering British waters they previously enjoying lucrative rights to access. British secretary of state Michael Gove confirmed Irish fishers’ worst fears recently when he said: “We are taking back control. We can decide the terms of access.” One lawyer, Dermot Conway, who specialises in maritime regulations, was straightforward in his assessment of the situation – Irish fishers should be very worried. click here to read the story 21:17

Irish fishermen are getting another raw deal

Ireland has 23% of European waters and the richest fishing waters in the European union, yet we are allowed a mere 4% of white-fish quotas. Irish fishermen are tied up for lack of quotas and have no other means of making a living, except fishing, and yet they pay their taxes. It is estimated that pelagic vessels hold 86% of the mackerel quotas and land at Castletownbere, in West Cork, for shipment to the continent. The proposed expansion of this area is to facilitate foreign vessels and not Irish fishermen, because they have no quotas to fish their own grounds. It is a bad deal. Link Irish Examiner 12:48