‘Criminalising fishermen is one of the most appalling things any Government or body could do to its own people.’
THE criminalisation of fishermen who are simply trying to make a living has got to stop, according to Cllr Michael Collins. The independent councillor tabled a motion calling on the Minister for the Marine, Simon Coveney, to change the laws that are currently being challenged in the High Court. Speaking at Monday’s meeting of the Western Committee of Cork County Council, Cllr Collins pointed out that two brothers – the owner and the skipper of the Tea Rose trawler that operates out of Castletownbere – are in the process of testing the legality of the Domestic Points Regulations system, which was introduced under the Common Fisheries Policy. Read the rest here 18:17
The Magnuson Stevens Act Reauthorization 2006 essentially made it illegal and a criminal offense to not have the fish stock populations at a certain level by 2014. If the stocks were not rebuilt they were considered “overfished”, and since that was now illegal, overfishing became a criminal situation (as in Ireland) and since the fishermen were the only ones that could possibly be doing the “overfishing”, that made them criminals, by definition.
Certainly the regulators were not the illegal criminals! They were doing all they could to prevent the ocean collapse by installing Marine Protected Areas, choking regulations, catch shares ITQ privatization, and aquaculture etc., etc. (just ask Dr. Jane, she’ll tell ya’). So if there’s illegal going on it must be those itinerant drifter fishermen criminals causing all this ocean trouble. Those IUU’s!
And so over the years in most media presentations “overfishing” has become synonymous with fishing, and fishermen synonymous with criminals. Presumed guilty of some ocean eco-offense until—usually at their own expense—they can prove their innocence!
That criminalization is a big part of the rationale behind onboard at sea “monitors”…and let the criminals themselves foot the bill.
All independent food producers are criminals. Just ask Lavoy Finicum. Oh sorry, that’s right, the Government murdered him.