Tag Archives: Ireland
CJ Gaffney calls on McConalogue to Support Inclusion of Mary Kate in Review
CJ and his family have been fighting for justice in relation to the loss of the beam trawler and the debts incurred during their time of ownership. Although the European Commission has offered the Irish government a solution to compensating the Gaffney family, Minister for Charlie McConalogue, as with his predecessors, Simon Coveney and Michael Creed, has steadfastly refused to consider the issue, and have routed the blame to the Department of Transport, which oversees the Marine Survey Office, who was responsible for signing off on the seaworthiness of the MARY Kate WD-30. After a long campaign, which has received backing from his local County Council, TD’s and Irish MEPs, CJ has once again asked both Ministers McConalogue and Ryan to back an investigation into how the MARY KATE was ever passed as safe for fishing operations. >>click to read<< 16:16
Cocaine bust trawler remains wedged on sandbank off Wexford coast
Detectives with the National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau stated in court that it was their belief that fishing trawler The Castlemore was “attempting a transaction” with the cargo ship the MV Matthew off the Wexford coast at the time it ran aground. Two weeks ago, a major salvage operation was said to have begun to recover the fishing trawler from the sandbank off the Wexford coast, however, it appears that all efforts to date have been unsuccessful and the trawler remains wedged in the sand. Sources suggest that the recovery of the trawler is becoming a bigger and more difficult task with every passing day and some reports even suggest that the vessel may now be buried up to its wheelhouse. >>click to read<< 08:35
Arklow Fisherman Appeals to Politicians to Submit His Experience to EU Fishing Vessel Safety Review
The owner of former beam trawler Mary Kate has said his experience should inform the EU’s review of fishing vessel safety. Arklow fisherman CJ Gaffney has written to national and local politicians and MEPs to ask that they present his case to the EU review. Gaffney discovered serious stability issues with the Dutch trawler after he bought it in 2007 and was left with debts of 1 million euro. He tried to take legal action in both the Netherlands and Germany, took out a loan to cover fixing the vessel and then had to surrender it to the bank in 2012. He sought EU funds in compensation, but the EU said it was up to the national state. The vessel was broken up in New Ross, Co Wexford, earlier this year under the Government’s decommissioning scheme. >>click to read<< 13:09
Drug dopes gave bogus ‘fishing trip’ reason to buy €400k cocaine trawler – then beached it after space tech move
The trawler beached off the Wexford coast while on a drugs run was sold to two “foreigners” in Castletownbere for up to €400,000 the day before. The 15-metre Castlemore had been on the market for three years, owned by a member of a prominent fishing family hamstrung by strict EU fishing quotas in the Co Cork harbour town. After a test run, a bill of sale was drawn up and the new owners quickly bought and installed a top-of-the-range Elon Musk SpaceX satellite system before they left Castletownbere. Within hours, the boat left Co Cork purportedly for Devon, but instead it’s believed it headed off to rendezvous with the mother ship laden with over 2.25 tonnes of coke. Photos, >>click to read<< 07:59
Trawler that ran aground off Wexford coast in suspected drug smuggling operation was bought days earlier in west Cork
The Castlemore, the 21-year-old twin rigger, had been bought by a local fisherman in Castletownbere in 2017 and used to fish for prawn and white fish off the southwest coast but the owner had been trying to sell the boat for the last two years and on Friday, the boat was purchased by an unknown buyer. The boat left Castletownbere late on Friday night or early Saturday morning and was reported to be headed for Brixham in Devon but local sources in Castletownbere suspect that the vessel headed off to rendezvous with another vessel which had crossed the Atlantic with a consignment of cocaine. The cocaine was then transferred from the boat that had crossed the Atlantic to the Castlemore in what is known as “coopering” so that when the other boat entered port and was checked by customs officials, they would find nothing while the drugs would be brought ashore by the trawler. >>click to read<< 09:14
Bundoran fisherman sees double as rare Orange lobster pays second visit
You can do the numbers on finding an orange lobster that has not already been served on a platter, so to have discovered two last year, after a lifetime of fishing off Donegal shores, was a bit of a coup for Bundoran based fisherman, Sean Carty, when out checking his pots this week. While checking his pots as per usual earlier this week, what appeared to be another orange lobster emerged from the ocean, but there was more to this ’tail’ than met the eye. However, he had to do a ‘double take’ when he realised that he had clashed claws with this same lobster before. >click to read< 12:20
Inspectors checked on just 6% of Irish trawlers in 2022
Only 6% of Irish-flagged trawlers were subjected to checks by this country’s fishery inspection officers last year compared to far higher numbers for many other countries, according to official figures supplied by the Sea Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA). Last year, the SFPA said it used a “risk-based methodology for inspection” of fishing boats to carry out checks on catches and Norwegian-registered vessels came top for inspections at 92%. The SFPA said 41% of Spanish-flagged vessels, which have for a long time had a significant presence in Irish waters, were inspected. A similar percentage of British and French-flagged vessels were inspected, while 33% of Belgium-flagged trawlers were also checked. >click to read< 17:45
Lobster fisherman’s narrow escape following incident in Dingle Bay
A Co Kerry fisherman narrowly avoided being pulled into rough seas when he became entangled in lobster pot ropes seriously damaging his leg during a solo trip last year. The unnamed skipper spent five days recovering in hospital although an official report into the incident, published on Wednesday, found that without the rapid rescue response his fate could have been “far more serious”. Despite his quick thinking, he spent four hours trapped in “severe pain” before help arrived. The skipper, who owned the boat and was both qualified and experienced, was out alone with the intention of setting 30 lobster pots attached to rope strings that shot off from a table onboard. >click to read< 09:92
Cormac Burke: Desperation is turning to anger in Ireland’s fishing industry
As readers see this article, there’ll be a temptation to think its just another fishing industry sob story, and indeed who could blame them? It is decades since we’ve heard anything positive and yet this sector consists of thousands of people in coastal communities crying out that their traditional way of life is being gradually eliminated and eradicated by government. I could launch into the tragic list of catastrophes that have befallen the fishing sector over the last 20 years due to blatant mismanagement by successive governments, marine ministers, and senior civil servants but these tragedies were more by design than by accident. The Irish public rarely gets to see the true face of the fishing sector and how our politicians managed to get Ireland’s fishermen the worst possible deal from Brexit negotiations,,, >click to read< 15:48
Irish fishermen face double Brexit whammy as EU funding deadline looms
Irish fishing businesses face a double whammy this year of having less fish to catch and being unable to draw down EU Brexit funding in time. Tight deadlines, a lack of labour and materials shortages are putting at risk hundreds of millions of euros worth of funding from Brussels that MEP Billy Kelleher said is crucial to keep coastal communities afloat. “All the plans are in. Everything is done. It’s just the inability to draw down,” Mr Kelleher said of the EU funding. “Brexit hasn’t gone away. The impact of it hasn’t gone away. So I mean it would be a shame to forfeit funding that could ameliorate or reduce the impact of Brexit in certain communities.” >click to read< 12:11
Dunmore East designated as landing port for UK vessels
Dunmore East has been redesignated as a Fisheries Landing Port for UK and Northern Irish fishing vessels. Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue signed the Statutory Instrument allowing the vessels to land in the county Waterford village. On Friday, March 3rd, a UK-registered boat requested permission from the Irish authorities to enter the local harbour after suffering a mechanical problem. However, the captain received a reply instructing them to go to Howth instead. Despite this, the vessel entered Dunmore East, which they were much closer to, and subsequently got into trouble with the Irish authorities for doing so. >click to read< 13:21
Last Voyage of Two Irish Fishing Vessels Before Break-Up in Denmark
Two Aran Island fishing vessels which were approved for Irelands decommissioning scheme, recently completed their last trip before being broken up. The 17-metre Connacht Ranger and the 20-metre Conquest were photographed on their journey from Ireland to Denmark. Skipper-owner John Conneely, from the Aran Island of Inis Mór, opted to take the vessels to Denmark for scrapping. “Beautiful but poignant images of MFV Connacht Ranger and Conquest waiting to go up Neptune’s Staircase on the Caledonian Canal en route to Denmark for decommissioning. A stairway to heaven of sorts for two boats whose time is sadly up,” read a post on Twitter by Conneely’s partner, Mary-Frances Beatty.Photos, >click to read< 20:14
CEO says over regulation has led to the demise of the fishing industry
The fishing industry is facing the gravest challenges of our time with a decline in the number of young people joining the industry and a serious decline in profits reaped from the the processing and exporting sector, according to the Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Fish Processors and Exporters Association (IFPEA), Brendan Byrne. The Creenveen-based CEO said: “There is no doubt that we are facing the gravest challenges of our time as a result of Brexit and the TCA agreement. I suppose historically we have been treated very unfairly by the Common Fisheries Policy – they only allow us to catch, on average, 15% of all the fish in Irish waters; the other 85% is shared among other EU countries.” >click to read< 15:14
Rocket found off Irish coast shrouded in mystery as Virgin Orbit rules out ownership
Mystery surrounds the discovery of a rocket engine by fishermen from West Cork after Virgin Orbit has confirmed it does not belong to them. The debris which was discovered in February was thought to be an engine belonging to Virgin Orbit’s failed launch from Cornwall in January. A spokesperson for the company said the debris found by Union Hall fishermen was not the property of Virgin Orbit and was unrelated to the launch from Cornwall. A spokesperson for Cork County Council said: “Part of an engine recovered by an Irish fishing vessel during routine fishing operations has been brought into Keelbeg pier. >click to read< 09:08
Cork fishermen find what they believe to be failed Virgin rocket ship motor
While fishing for monkfish, the group of fishermen from Keelbeg, Union Hall hauled what they now believe is a part of the Virgin rocket ship. Virgin Orbit, a company created by business tycoon Richard Branson, made their debut launch of the LauncherOne rocket off the coast of Cornwall in January. The launch was the first of its kind off of UK soil. However, just two hours after the first rocket launch, it was revealed that the Virgin Orbit ship had suffered an anomaly and had crashed into the sea following an engine failure. >click to read< 07:50
Fishing Vessel Which Ran Aground off Dursey Island Yesterday Refloated and Drydocked in Casteltownbere
A fishing vessel which ran aground off Dursey Island yesterday has been refloated and towed to Casteltownbere for drydocking and inspection. A major rescue operation was needed when the 33m French-flagged trawler, the F/V Grand St Bernard, hit rock 12 nautical miles from Castletownbere. Two local boats, the Girl Jane and Celtic Dawn, Castletownbere RNLI and the Irish Coast Guard Rescue 115 helicopter came to the rescue of the 14-strong crew. 10 crew were airlifted from the boat, while 4 remained on board to help with efforts to free the boat from the rock. Following a successful winching operation, the trawler eventually came off the rocks and a tow line to keep the casualty vessel away from the shore. >click to read< 12:42
Trawler refloated after major rescue operation off Dursey Island
The French registered trawler, which had been sailing with 14 crew on board, is understood to have run aground on rocks off the southern tip of Dursey Island at around 2pm on Friday. A coast guard helicopter and the Castletownbere lifeboat crew were called to the scene as part of a major emergency response which was coordinated by the Valentia Marine Rescue Coordination Centre. At least nine crew members were airlifted to safety from the boat before it was refloated. Thankfully, the vessel was able to move off the rocks before 5pm and made its way slowly back to Castletownbere to check and repair its damaged hull. >click to read< 12:50
Death by a Thousand Cuts – ‘We Have Fish, That’s Our Currency’
Just before midnight, David O’Neill navigated his trawler into the harbor in Union Hall, a small port in southwestern Ireland, the wake from the vessel sending tiny waves slapping against the pier. The crew swiftly unloaded their catch, using a crane to lift ice-packed crates of haddock and hake from the hold of the Aquila under bright spotlights. Less than an hour later, the Aquila would depart for its final trip. Two days later, the crew stripped the vessel’s contents — chains, buoys, ropes, steel cables, and hooks — and ejected them onto the pier, on their way to a shipyard to be scrapped. “This is coming with me,” Mr. O’Neill said as he unscrewed the Aquila’s wooden steering wheel. “It reminds you of all you’ve been through on this boat.” Photos, >click to read< 10:20
Fisherman asks court to quash licence to investigate offshore wind farm sites
A fisherman is asking the High Court to quash a licence allowing a renewable energy firm to investigate sites off the coast of Dublin and Wicklow in connection with a proposed €1.5 billion offshore wind farm. On Friday, Mr Justice Richard Humphreys gave permission for Ivan Toole, of Ashford, Co Wicklow, and his company, Golden Venture Fishing Limited, of the same address, to bring their action against the Minister of State with responsibility for planning and local government over his granting of the foreshore licence to RWE last January. RWE proposes to undertake geotechnical and geophysical site investigations, including drilling boreholes, and to monitor wind and waves to refine its design of the Dublin Array offshore wind farm, says Mr Toole. >click to read< 10:05
Irish trawler owners asked to install cameras for EU fishing regulations project
Irish trawler owners are being asked to voluntarily install remote onboard monitoring cameras that will one day be used to record potential breaches of EU law. The request has been made by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA), which wants to see how remote CCTV systems work on trawlers as part a Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) pilot project the fishing industry watchdog is launching. However, the scheme has been compared by a leading fishing industry representative to asking “turkeys to vote in favour of Christmas.” Irish South and West Fish Producer Organisation CEO Patrick Murphy also said: >click to read< 08:51
Pelagic Sisters from Killybegs Yard
Killybegs shipyard Mooney Boats has completed its largest builds to date, sister vessels Eilean Croine built for Eric Murphy and Sparkling Star for Donal O’Neil. Built to the same Vestværftet design, the two pelagic trawlers are an example of international co-operation and innovative local ingenuity. According to the yard’s managing director Lee Mooney, there are close links with designer Ove Kristensen at Vestværft in Hvide Sande, which has built a number of vessels over the years for Irish 
owners, while several companies within the Killybegs Marine Cluster also provided essential support to ensure that these vessels were completed to the highest standards. ‘We’re thrilled to have completed these two impressive vessels, and we are grateful to the O’Neil and Murphy families for entrusting us with their project, from the design through to the construction stage,’ Lee Mooney said. >click to read< 12:26
Only three owners out of 57 paid in full months after fishing boat decommissioning scheme starts
Eight of the 57 fishing boats accepted for decommissioning have been scrapped but just three of their owners have received their money in full from the State. According to Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), which administers the government scheme, another six boat owners are still waiting for 50% of the monies they are due. As the decommissioned boats have to be destroyed, there is now a waiting list for the country’s two specialist recyclers, in New Ross and Limerick. As of May 2, BIM says there were 11 boats waiting to be destroyed under the decommissioning scheme, which was set up to cut the size of the national fishing fleet because of reduced quotas in the wake of Brexit. >click to read< 10:16
‘Losing my fishing boat is like losing a limb, or my identity’
Caitlín Uí Aodha doesn’t cry easily but tears aren’t far from her eyes when she talks about Dearbhla. While this is the name of her youngest daughter, it was also the name of her 25-metre trawler. “It hurts, it really hurts,” she says through stifled sobs when she talks about it. She is upset because late last year, she closed a door on a proud fishing tradition that has been in her family for more than 150 years. She did what she never thought she would do: she applied to decommission the boat. >click to read< 09:34
Our fishing industry is sustainable, so why are we intent on trashing it?
Irelands decision to join the EU 50 years ago was, from a fishing industry perspective, a poisoned chalice. Half a century later, Britain’s decision to leave that very same institution, and the resultant decommissioning deal for fishers, will mean a further loss of quotas, as well as widespread job losses on land and sea, too. The latest ‘deal’, according to John Nolan, chairman of the Castletownbere Fishermen’s Co-operative, will cost more than money. ‘It could,’ he said, ‘mean the loss of our soul.’ With the approval deadline for decommissioning in its final throes, John described the latest quota cutbacks, and scrappage deal, as something that is ‘eating away at our hearts and taking away our hope.’ Photos, >click to read< 13:53
The European Union’s Plan to Ban Bottom Fishing is Causing Widespread Outrage
The plan, which seeks to ban bottom trawling in protected areas, has caused widespread demonstrations, disruption of work in ports, and the launch of a protest movement by fishermen in France called “Blocked Ports”. Although the Commission’s proposals do not represent new legislation, and will not be implemented soon in a way that satisfies some environmental protection non-governmental organizations, they have been met with strong opposition from a number of member states. There was outrage in Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ireland and Denmark, who feared the plan would endanger the entire fishing industry. The “Marine Action Plan” for sustainable fishing was announced on February 12, and it includes initiatives to phase out deep-sea trawling in protected areas. >click to read< 08:51
Fishing Industry Cautious After Examining Norway – EU Deal
The IFPO and IFPEA has welcomed Norway’s exclusion from the Irish Box but says Ireland still lacks an equitable arrangement. “Norway have been allocated an extra 36,000MT of blue whiting in the Irish EEZ, compared to just 4,800MT extra blue whiting for Ireland,” says Aodh O Donnell, chief executive of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO). O Donnell says fishing representatives took time to carefully consider the new deal, ironically struck on St Patrick’s Day, before responding. >click to read< 14:33
Norway ‘secure more out of fishing deal than Ireland’
Under the deal, Norwegian fishers can catch 224,000 metric tonnes of blue whiting in Irish waters this year, an increase of 110,000 metric tonnes on how much they were allowed to catch last year. In contrast, Irish fishermen and women are only allowed to catch 52,000 metric tonnes of blue whiting, up from the 28,000 tonnes they could catch last year. While unhappy with the lack of quota parity between the two countries, fishing representatives here say the deal has an upside to it. >click to read< 11:50
Windfall of €8m for family at heart of Atlantic Dawn fishing group
Atlantic Dawn, the Donegal-based international fishing group, has paid an €8m dividend to an entity controlled by the McHugh family who are behind the business. The dividend underscores how the group has continued to deliver a strong financial performance while keeping its turnover and profit details shielded from the public. Atlantic Dawn, headed by chief executive Karl McHugh, is one of Ireland’s largest fishing groups and estimated to control more than 7pc of the country’s entire fishing quota. >click to read< 17:40
Rathlin woman ditched her house and lives on a converted 80 year old trawler
Those in search of new homes are becoming more open to the concept of alternative living. Charlotte Bosanquet is an example of those who do just that, as she now lives on the water in her very own 80-year old trawler boat. It all began when Charlie visited Rathlin Island and was in immediate awe of the location. “There was no accommodation, so we looked at other ways of living and that’s when we found the boat. We put in an offer but didn’t expect for it to be accepted but in February 2016, 
we secured it. I was so excited for the first month I could hardly sleep. The boat is a 1932 wooden trawler, so it needed a lot of work done to it. It was leaking a little, the living space wasn’t so nice and it needed work. But the engine was in good shape”. Photos, >click to read< 09:25
Ban Mega Trawlers from Irish waters says Sinn Féin as F/V Margiris ploughs seas off Cork coast
It’s already been banned from Australian waters – now Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on fisheries says the FV Margiris and so called “super trawlers’ like her should not be allowed to fish off the Irish coast. The giant fishing vessel – which is less than 40 nautical miles off the Cork coast this afternoon – has been called the ‘Death Star of the Ocean” and can land up to 250 tonnes of fish a day, 14 times what a regular Irish trawler might take, while often leaving tonnes of unwanted ‘by-catch’, non-profitable marine life, dead in its wake. >click to read< 08:01
