Tag Archives: Fisherman Damien Turner

Diesel prices and post-Brexit quotas add to fishermen’s woes

Each time West Cork fisherman Daniel Healy sets out to sea, he wonders whether it’s worth his time. Soaring diesel prices, he said, are putting his livelihood at risk. “Per trip, with five days out, at 1,000 litres a day – that’s over €5,000. It’s a big bill for me,” Mr Healy told Prime Time. He has been fishing from Castletownbere for the last 29 years. For the first time, he has to worry whether he can pay the wages of his crew. The diesel is probably taking about nearly half of our gross earnings, every trip,” he said. “The crew were wondering where all the money was going, until I showed them the receipts and how much the fuel is.” But, due to stricter post-Brexit quotas that were introduced last year, fishermen cannot increase their catch to compensate for their losses. >click to read< 18:50

Ireland: Fishing’s struggle to stay afloat

Three men and a woman best illustrate the state of the Irish fishing industry today. One quit the industry two years ago, another is old enough to retire but can’t and the other two face being forced out of the industry despite being too young to retire. All of them are based in Castletownbere, Co Cork, and all are integral to a fishing community they believe is dying. Damien Turner, who is the skipper and owner of the MFV Roise Catriona, has been fishing for more than 30 years. video, >click to read< 08:24