Tag Archives: West Africa

Probe sought into conditions of ‘stranded’ migrant fishers whose boat ran aground off Inis Mór

An investigation has been sought into conditions faced by four West African fishermen who were working on a boat that ran aground off the Aran Islands last weekend. The men had to be rescued from the fishing vessel as part of a multi-agency response that included the Coast Guard and RNLI. The Dáil has heard allegations that the men were “bogusly” recruited to work in Ireland, having first thought they would be working in the UK, only to find themselves working in the Atlantic Ocean off the Galway coast. Solidarity TD Mick Barry claimed the men were “put working illegally” on an Irish boat, called ‘Ambitious’, until the vessel ran aground off Inis Mór and the men required rescue last Sunday. Barry further alleged that attempts have been made by the owner “to send the four men back to Ghana in quicktime” before any authorities have an opportunity to hear of the “ordeal” they allegedly suffered. photos, more, >>click to read<< 13:30

Dolphins – Friend or Food?

Dolphins are often collateral damage of the fishing industry — they get entangled in fishing gear targeted at other fish species, and often sustain injuries and die. But what happens to such accidentally-trapped dolphins? Sometimes they get eaten, researchers have found. Small-scale or artisanal fishermen and women in West Africa commonly treat such accidentally caught animals as an , according to a recent study. Read the rest here 12:21